Rescuers seek for victims and survivors amidst the rubble of collapsed buildings in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the nation’s southeast.
Rescue employees despatched by Bern to Turkey have pulled earthquake victims out alive, the federal government mentioned on Thursday, a primary in twenty years of Swiss participation in worldwide disaster response.
Switzerland despatched a group of 80 rescue employees hours after the 7.8-magnitude quake hit Turkey and war-ravaged Syria early Monday, in a catastrophe that has killed greater than 20 000 individuals.
The international ministry mentioned Switzerland’s specialist group had to date managed to rescue 9 individuals, marking the primary time they’ve introduced individuals out alive.
Overseas ministry spokesperson Valentin Clivaz mentioned:
We are able to affirm that this marks certainly the primary time in 20 years that Swiss rescue employees despatched to help with disaster’s overseas have discovered individuals alive.
He was confirming a report by public broadcaster RTS, which detailed how the Swiss rescuers on Wednesday night pulled an aged girl out of a collapsed constructing in Hatay, earlier than saving a household of 4, together with a child, in a single day to Thursday.
Others had been rescued earlier within the week, it mentioned.
Bern is getting ready to ship one other group of dozens of rescue employees, logisticians, medical doctors and housing specialists to Turkey on Friday.
“Focused help can be being envisaged for Syria,” the international ministry mentioned.
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