Turkey earthquake: After Nurdagi, NDRF teams reach Hatay for rescue operations

NDRF personnel busy in rescue operation in Turkey. Pic/NDRF

Teams of NDRF have reached the Hatay area in Turkey, days after conducting extensive rescue operations in Nurdagi, an NDRF spokesman said on Wednesday.

"The base of operation of NDRF Team India 10 and 11 has been shifted from Nurdagi to Hatay which is situated at a distance of about 100 km from Nurdagi. It has been told that the earthquake in Hatay has caused the most damage in Turkey, said a NDRF spokesperson.

He said, "At present all the three teams of NDRF are running the rescue operations in Turkey. According to the information received, so far the three teams of NDRF have cleared 30 work sites in Nurdagi and Hatay, in which 2 lives were saved and around 75 dead bodies have been removed from the debris."

The death toll from powerful earthquakes that struck Turkey on February 6 reportedly rose to 31,974, the country's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said on Tuesday. It said that nearly 1,95,962 victims have been evacuated from the quake zone in southern Turkey. The total death toll in Syria, has reached 5,714, including those who died in both the rebel enclave and government-held areas, as per the reports.

Also read: Turkey earthquake: NDRF rescues 6-year-old girl in Gaziantep, about 90-hours after quake

Multiple NDRF teams including women rescuers and doctors were sent to Turkey after a powerful earthquake hit Turkey last week.

The NDRF has been part of two similar international operations including the 2011 Japan disaster (earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown) and the 2015 Nepal earthquake.

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Indian government had decided to send the teams for rescue and relief operations in Turkey. The entire operation is being termed as 'Operation Dost'. The Government of India has offered all possible assistance to Turkey.