The death toll from yesterday's earthquake in Turkey and Syria is now more than 5 thousand. Approximately more than 13.5 million people live in the area affected by the disaster, so the number of victims is set to rise even further, according to experts. However, as time passes, the likelihood of a living person being pulled out from under the rubble diminishes. The cold weather is making the rescuers' work more difficult.
Slovakia sent ten members of the Fire and Rescue Corps from the Zilina Rescue Brigade and five mountain rescuers along with specially trained dogs to Turkey. The units will search, rescue and help people affected by the earthquake in the country. The crisis management section of the Interior Ministry was contacted through the Common Emergency Communication and Information System (CECIS). Slovakia also responded to a request from the European Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) by sending aid. The transportation of emergency services to the Turkish city of Adana is complicated by extremely heavy snowfall in Turkey.
Slovak Public Radio's reporter Sona Weissova is in the Turkish province of Rovno, bordering Syria. She describes the hard conditions on the roads and almost no accessibility of press to the town of Hatay. The Slovak rescue services have been flown there by a helicopter without any luggage, as to start their work on the ground as soon as possible.
According to Jan Culka, long-time rescuer, it is crucial that the rescue services come to the affected place in 42-72 hours, so that the people stuck under the debris of the fallen buildings have chance of surviving. He describes the composition of the Slovak rescue team as a very good one, since Slovakia has trained mountain rescuers, who can work also in the cold winter conditions that are currently in southeastern Turkey.
Slovak President Zuzana Caputova sent a condolence telegram to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the devastating earthquake. In the telegram, she expressed her thoughts of the families and loved ones of the victims. She wished the injured a speedy recovery. The Prime Minister of Slovakia Eduard Heger also expressed his condolences to the families of the victims of the strong earthquake.
The 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit an area in southeastern Turkey near the border with Syria at 4 a.m. local time on Monday. February 6. The epicentre was located north of the Turkish city of Gaziantep.
