War in Ukraine has raised a new generation of very capable rescue experts. These people are used to difficult situations and a constant flow of emergencies caused by the invading Russian army. That is why their help is now vital to the Turkish people.
The wreckage of a collapsed building, Diyarbakır, Turkey. Image credit: VOA via Wikimedia,
According to the latest reports, 88 rescue experts, medics, and supporting specialists have been sent to Turkey to assist with dealing with the consequences of a natural disaster, a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit southern Turkey and northwest Syria.
“There is a war in our country, but we understand that we have to help, and this aid is mutual. There is no other way to do it. This work goes on constantly, we have prepared people who take part in such operations,” commented Oleksandr Khorunzhyi, a spokesman for the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.
It is now estimated that in this earthquake at least 19,000 were killed and many more were injured.
The Ukrainian team includes not only rescue specialists, but also doctors, dog handlers, and firefighters. All of them have already joined rescue teams from Turkey close to the Turkish city of Antakya near the Syrian border.
“People should protect their lives, this is the most important thing they have. We sympathize with the Turkish people, the families of the dead and wounded,” said Oleksandr Khorunzhyi.
