Moldovan rescuers arrived in Turkey

Chisinau, Feb. 8 /MOLDPRES/- Today the Moldovan rescue team specialized in urban search and rescue crossed the borders of Turkey, but they still have 950 km to go to the cities most affected by the earthquakes.

According to IGSU, at the border of Turkey IGSU employees had their first contact with officers of the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD)-Turkey and representatives of the police and border police. They communicated about the mission and the importance of providing support in the area affected by the disaster. AFAD officials directed the Moldovan rescuers to the Hatay province on the border with Syria, where they will arrive tonight.

According to Turkish officials, this region is one of the most affected by the earthquake. To reach the destination, the IGSU employees still have to travel 950 km, but their movement is hampered by bad weather conditions - heavy snow. Estimated, our specialists will reach the affected area around 19:00.

Once arrived, the rescuers will form two working sectors. The first will take over the installation of a fully operational field camp, and the second sector will go on missions of research, searching for casualties and carrying out insurance work.

The rescue team of the Republic of Moldova specialized in urban search and rescue, consisting of 55 IGSU employees with 12 units of heavy equipment and two search and rescue dogs set off on an international mission in Turkey in the evening of February 6. Moldovan rescuers are to be active in the area affected by the earthquake for at least seven days.

At the beginning of this week, several earthquakes severely affected Turkey and Syria, the authorities in Ankara announced that so far the disaster has killed more than 8,000 people.

Photo: IGSU