The last few days have been nothing short of devastating for the nations of Turkiye and Syria. A series of massive earthquakes left both countries in absolute shock, one which will take a lot of time to recover from. The tragedy has brought the whole world together and help is arriving from every walk of life. Formula 1 is not behind either and the latest to take the baton in doing his part is none other than Lewis Hamilton.

As per Al-Jazeera’s latest report, as many as 16,000 have lost their lives in the two countries. As rescue operations continue, that number is increasing as well. The F1 fraternity, led by Stefano Domenicali and Mohammed Ben Sulayem, recently condoled the deaths. Later, Mercedes donated $1.07 towards the cause and informed the fans through a Twitter post.

Now, Hamilton has put out an appeal through his Instagram stories, urging his 31.4 million followers to donate to a couple of charities that are working in the affected countries. He wrote, “The tragedy in Turkey, Syria, and surrounding areas has already taken the lives of thousands of people. Thousands more are injured. Those numbers are expected to rise as search and rescue operations continue. Families, homes, and lives have been destroyed.”

“Posting places to donate and share for all those who wish to help.”

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He tagged the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and Human Appeal in the stories. According to the post, IFRC is working towards providing meals, first aid, psychological support, and other emergency resources. Human appeal, on the other hand, is working with local authorities to provide assistance to families.

Lewis Hamilton and Mick Schumacher pay condolences to the victims of the tragedy

The series of earthquakes lasted almost a full day, with the biggest ones registering 7.8 and 7.5 on the Richter Scale. Sprawling buildings turned into rubble in a matter of seconds, leaving dozens dead or trapped alive. Over the days, the death count is hinting towards one of the biggest natural calamities the planet has seen in the last few years.

Expressing his anguish with the terrible tragedy, Lewis wrote on Instagram, “My thoughts are with the people in Turkey, Syria, and all areas affected by this tragedy. Absolutely heartbreaking.”

His fellow Mercedes teammate (reserve driver) Mick Schumacher had some words to pay condolences as well. “I feel with all the people in Turkey and Syria hit by the devastating earthquake. Terrible beyond words.”

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Here’s hoping that people come out in numbers to donate to the charities and the money gets put to good use.