TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation is sending 25 tons of blankets to help survivors of the massive earthquake in Turkey, reports said Thursday (Feb. 9).

More than 15,000 people have been reported dead in Turkey and Syria after a magnitude 7.8 tremor hit the border region Monday (Feb. 6). Taiwan has sent 130 rescue workers to help find survivors, while government leaders have announced they are donating one month's salary to fund relief and reconstruction aid.

Quake survivors were facing bitter cold and the danger of aftershocks in mountainous parts of Turkey, leading relief efforts to focus on collecting and sending clothes. Tzu Chi, which was known for helping victims of disasters both in Taiwan and overseas, said Thursday it had prepared 8,148 blankets in 1,358 boxes weighing a total of 25 metric tons, which it would put at the disposal of the Turkish representative office in Taipei.

Volunteers packaged the items at Tzu Chi’s center in Taipei City’s Neihu District during the morning, while the group will hand over the blankets, which were made from recycled plastic bottles, to the Turkish trade office on Thursday afternoon, CNA reported.