The body of an Indian man, missing since the devastating earthquake rattled Turkey on February 6, was found under the rubble of a 24-storey hotel where he was staying in Malatya city.
The Indian Embassy in Turkey said Vijay Kumar Gaud, who hailed from Uttarakhand and was working for a Bengaluru-based company, was on a business trip to the west Asian country.
"We inform with sorrow that the mortal remains of Shri Vijay Kumar, an Indian national missing in Turkiye since February 6 earthquake, have been found and identified among the debris of a hotel in Malatya, where he was on a business trip," the embassy tweeted.
According to reports, the face of Gaur was crushed beyond recognition and his family identified him with a tattoo of the word 'Om” on his left hand.
Gaud, 35, was a resident of Padampur area in Kotdwar in Pauri district. On Friday morning, the rescuers had found his passport and bags from the debris of the 66-room Avsar hotel, but they could recover his body only on Saturday morning.
According to his family sources, his body will first be flown to Istanbul and then taken to Delhi.
"Our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones. We are making arrangements for the earliest possible transportation of his mortal remains to his family," the embassy said in its tweet.
Gaud is survived by his wife and a six-year-old son. Gaud's elder brother Arun Kumar told PTI that Gaud was working for Oxy Plant India Pvt Ltd and was on an official assignment.
The Ministry of External Affairs had said on Wednesday that an Indian was missing and 10 others were stuck but safe in remote regions following the quake.
Meanwhile, the death toll in the massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake that shook both Turkey and Syria crossed 23,000 even as rescuers were still pulling several people alive from the shattered remnants of buildings.
Under 'Operation Dost' mission, India has sent six planes carrying rescue personnel, essentials and medical equipment to Turkey and Syria.