Fifteen Slovaks from the Firefighter and Rescue Corps (HaZZ) and the Mountain Rescue Service are already actively helping in the regions of Turkey hit by an earthquake, Interior Ministry's spokesperson Zuzana Eliasova told TASR on Tuesday.
The provided rescue team is self-sufficient, meaning that it can work independently at the place of destination, she said.
The rescue team left Slovakia on Monday (February 6) at midnight, to arrive in the Turkish town of Adana at 4.45 a.m. local time on Tuesday. "Upon arrival at the airport, it registered itself in the town of Adana in line with the EU mechanism procedures. Following the registration, major part of the team was at 7.15 a.m. transported by a helicopter from the airport to the site near the city of Hatay," said Eliasova.
The team is equipped with ropes, ladders, tripods, LED lighting for working at night, hydraulic tools - hydraulic cylinders for lifting and supporting, hydraulic pumps, hydraulic shears and expanders, electric hammers, saws, drills, air compressor, electric generators, hand tools and radio stations.
The rescue team has been divided into three groups that started searching for people in the morning. Each team consists of a handler with a dog and three firefighters.
A powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake, followed by about 200 aftershocks, hit the area around the Turkish-Syrian border on Monday early morning. The number of fatalities so far has exceeded 9,000 on Wednesday morning and is expected to grow further. (TASR)
Earthquake relief:
https://clovekvohrozeni.sk/zemetrasenie-turecko-a-syria/
https://www.adra.sk/sos-adra-zemetrasenie-v-turecku-a-syrii/
https://integra.darujme.sk/zemetrasenievsyriiaturecku/
The Turkish Embassy in Bratislava is organizing a collection of winter clothing, more info can be found here:
