Fifteen Pakistani students, stranded in quake-hit areas of Turkiye, have returned to Pakistan and arrived in Lahore, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Saturday.

The students arrived in Lahore from Ankara through Pakistan International Airlines flight PK-708. They have reached Lahore with the efforts of Pakistani embassy in Ankara.

After their plane landed at Lahore airport, the students set off for their hometowns. 

Earlier on Thursday, the Foreign Office had confirmed that 23 Pakistani nationals were evacuated from the quake-hit Turkiye, while no casualties were reported so far. “So far, we have no news of casualty of any Pakistani in Turkiye or Syria,” the Foreign Office spokesperson said.

Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said the Pakistanis were evacuated from Gaziantep University and accommodated in Adana city. The devastated city of Gaziantep, located about 33km from the epicentre, suffered heavy loss of life and infrastructure during the earthquake.

“Sixteen of these evacuated persons will be brought back to Pakistan, while the rest will be shifted to Istanbul city of Turkiye,” she said.

She said the country’s missions in Turkiye and Syria remained in constant touch with the relevant authorities to provide relief to Pakistanis affected by the earthquake.