International rescue teams arrive Turkey amid major quakes

Duvar English

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated on Feb. 7 that Turkey received offers of assistance from 70 different countries and 14 international organizations after two major earthquakes struck southeastern Turkey nine hours apart.

The initial earthquake at a magnitude of 7.7 struck southeastern province of Kahramanmaraş's Pazarcık district on Feb. 6 at 4:17 a.m. local time. The second earthquake at a magnitude of 7.6 struck Kahramanmaraş's Elbistan district at 1.24 p.m. local time on the same day.

As of Feb. 7 evening, the death toll from devastating earthquakes has risen to 5,434, more than 31,000 people were injured, and at least 5,775 buildings collapsed as a result. Turkey has declared a 3-month long state of emergency in 10 provinces hit by quakes.

China

Eight experts from the search and rescue organization Ramunion set off with a rescue radar, rubble chiseling tools, and a trained dog, according to reporting by Global Times. The experienced team on international crises will arrive on Feb. 8 to the quake-hit region.

China's Ministry of Emergency Management will also send a 82-person search and rescue team.

While China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) will send 5.8 million dollars as emergency financial assistance, the Chinese Red Cross also announced that it will transfer 200 thousand dollars of emergency humanitarian aid to the Turkish Red Crescent.

The United States

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) said that two Disaster Relief Response Teams (DART) are organized to be sent to the region, and shared their condolences to those affected in Turkey and Syria.

Moreover, another rescue team consisting of 79 people and six dogs from Virginia will be sent to the NATO base in Adana province.

Germany

Organized by International Search and Rescue (ISAR), a team of 41 people and seven dogs have been sent to Antep province. Stating that it is a team for rapid rescue, they are specially trained equipped with trained dogs who can stay in the region for two weeks. 

Northern Cyprus

Two ships carrying medicines, serums, food, heaters, blankets, clothes, tents, and other supplies given by military units, various public institutions, and citizens in Northern Cyprus departed for Mersin port. Humanitarian aid reaches nearly 200 tons.

Japan

The International Emergency Rescue Team of 18 people sent by Japan arrived in Istanbul yesterday and moved towards southern province of Adana.

France

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin announced in his social media post that a team of 139 search and rescue workers will be sent to Turkey.

United Kingdom

The UK government is sending a team of 76 search and rescue specialists, equipment, and rescue dogs to Turkey.

Turkmenistan

The plane carrying a rescue team and humanitarian aid to the areas affected by the earthquakes departed from Turkmenistan on Feb. 6.

Pakistan

According to the statement made by the Prime Minister's Office, a search and rescue team of 50 people and 25 tons of aid materials departed for Turkey this morning by a plane and arrived in Adana.

The aircraft included a trained dog, a search and rescue team with the necessary equipment, a medical aid team consisting of doctors, nurses, and technicians, and a 30-bed mobile hospital.

Pakistan will send daily aid packages to Turkey and Syria from now on.

Mexico

Mexico has sent a rescue team consisting of 145 people from military departments and the Mexican Red Cross.

Malta

The Maltese government has sent a search and rescue team consisting of 32 people and a dog. The team also took 5.5 tons of humanitarian aid with it. Furthermore, the government also announced that it will provide financial support through the Turkish Red Crescent.

Hungary

A 55-person search and rescue team affiliated with the Hungarian National Disaster Management General Directorate has been sent to Turkey to help earthquake victims. Rescue dogs and 90-ton equipment has been sent to Adana airport as well.

North Macedonia

After the emergency meeting of the government, the North Macedonian government decided to send a search and rescue team of 40 people.

The government will also send equipment used in search and rescue, six vehicles, two fire trucks, 10 thousand blankets, 200 stretchers, and two trained dogs for earthquake victims.

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan decided to send humanitarian aid consisting of 2 planes which included a fully equipped mobile hospital with medical professionals. The government also sent a search and rescue team of 420 people.

Netherlands

The Dutch Red Cross raised more than 1.2 million euros in 24 hours in its aid campaign for earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria. Also, a rescue team consisting of 65 people and eight trained dogs has been sent to Turkey along with 15 tons of heavy rescue equipment.

Greece

Upon the Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' instructions, a military transport plane, 21 firefighters/wreckage rescue commandos, two wreckage rescue dogs, five doctors, and Greek earthquake department head seismologist Efthimios Lekkas has been sent to Turkey.

Bulgaria

A convoy of vehicles consisting of search and rescue teams entered Turkey on Feb. 6.

Belgium

The Flemish government in Belgium has created an emergency aid package of 200,000 euros for those affected by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. The government plans to allocate additional aid to the regions affected by the earthquake.

European Union

European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic announced that 27 search and rescue, and medical teams from 21 European countries had been mobilized to help Turkey after the earthquake. The EU Civil Protection Mechanism gathered 1185 staff and 79 search and rescue dogs to be sent to the affected regions.

Lenarcic thanked Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, France, Greece, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Italy, Hungary, Austria, Germany, Estonia, Spain, Malta, Slovakia, Portugal, Montenegro, and Albania for their assistance.