Members of the South African search and rescue team deployed to Turkey, where a 10-story building collapsed.
PHOTO: Provided by Medi Response
- South African rescuers continue their search through the rubble of a collapsed 10-story building for survivors of an earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria.
- Ssurvivors have yet to be located at the site.
- “There is limited food and difficult environmental conditions prevail,” said Paul Herbst, spokesman for Medi Response.
Members of the South African search and rescue team deployed to Turkey continue their efforts to search through the rubble of a 10-story building that collapsed during tremors following a 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria.
The Turkish government asked the team, which works under the banner of the Gift of the Givers Foundation, to lend a hand.
According to Medi Response paramedics, they have been using heavy machinery and specialized search and rescue and access equipment to comb the site in hopes of locating survivors.
Members of the South African search and rescue team deployed in Turkey.
Members of the South African search and rescue team in Turkey.
“The use of K9s, as well as sensitive sonar, thermal and audio equipment, helps locate trapped individuals. Unfortunately, survivors have not yet been located at this particular site,” they added in a statement.
READ | ‘The devastation is intense’: SA volunteers in earthquake-ravaged Turkey say dozens are still missing
Medi Response spokesman Paul Herbst said team members were fatigued as a result of traveling and adjusting to conditions.
“There is limited food and difficult environmental conditions prevail. Members are in good spirits and have worked day and night as they take turns resting for short periods,” he added.
Gift of the Givers Foundation founder Imtiaz Sooliman said rescuers were having difficulty transporting tents and blankets in extremely cold weather conditions.
Members of the South African search and rescue team sort through the rubble of a 10-story building that collapsed in Turkey.
He added that the local community was counting on them to help them find their loved ones.
“Indeed, it is a very difficult time. The earthquake has affected 23 million people, of whom 23,000 have died, and the count is going to be higher,” Sooliman said.
We live in a world where fact and fiction blur.
In uncertain times, you need journalism you can trust. For 14 free days, you can have access to a world of in-depth analysis, investigative journalism, featured opinions, and a variety of features. Journalism strengthens democracy. Invest in the future today. Thereafter, you will be billed R75 per month. You can cancel at any time and if you cancel within 14 days, you will not be billed.
