Right from the war zone, Ukraine has dispatched seasoned search and rescue experts. In total, Ukraine sent 87 personnel, 18 vehicles, and ten search and rescue dogs to mitigate the effects of the powerful earthquake in Türkiye, as reported by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine’s (SESU) Telegram channel.
“Rescuers are working tirelessly in both Türkiye and Ukraine! There is always hope of finding survivors, so we are constantly working,” stated the spokesman for the State Emergency Service of Ukraine Oleksandr Khorunzhyi, currently participating in a search and rescue operation in Türkiye, on the all-Ukrainian telethon.
The primary mission of Ukrainian “unarmed heroes,” according to Oleksandr Khorunzhyi, is to search for and rescue people.
“Our main mission is to search and rescue. We need to find people who are still alive! Only then will the coordination center decide on the next steps. We’ve been assigned a sector to look for people and assist them. The work is ongoing around the clock,” stated Khorunzhyi.
The first group of rescuers has already arrived in quake-ravaged Antakya, where they have established a tent camp and begun organizing the efforts. The State Emergency Service (SES) specialists work in shifts of 6 hours. The search and rescue operation site is kitted with Starlink satellite terminals, drones, vehicles, and all the necessary equipment for the rescuers to perform their duties.
“There are aftershocks in Türkiye, and we are feeling them. We felt them several times today, so we had to evacuate from the rubble sites, but that doesn’t stop us! We’re working on it, “ said a spokesman for the SES.
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