10 Bangkok rescue experts join Thai quake-response mission in Turkey
Bangkok has sent 10 rescue workers to join the USAR Thailand team’s search and rescue mission to help victims of the earthquake disaster in Turkey and Syria.
A 7.8-magnitude earthquake and aftershocks shook southern Turkey and northern Syria on Monday morning, leaving over 21,000 people dead as of Friday and affecting millions more in both countries.
A Thai masseuse from Chaiyaphum was among the victims after her hotel workplace in the Turkish town of Iskenderun collapsed.
The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department on Thursday sent a group of 42 rescue workers to Turkey on a disaster-relief mission. The group includes a Thai urban search and rescue (USAR) team including medics and engineers, plus 10 rescue staff from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, said deputy Bangkok governor Tavida Kamolvej.
The team departed Suvarnabhumi Airport on Thursday night on a Turkish Airlines flight. They took along rescue gear, medical supplies, satellite communication equipment, and two sniffer dogs.
Tavida said the USAR team and BMA rescuers are experts in search and rescue in urban areas. They have had extensive and regular training in disaster relief at national and international levels, she added.
For the latest updates on their search and rescue mission, visit facebook.com/DDPMNews and twitter @DDPMNews.
