KAHRAMANMARAS /Turkey/, February 7. /TASS/. Rescue teams of the Russian emergencies ministry in Turkey are clearing the rubble of a collapsed building where people are thought to be trapped, Russian First Deputy Emergency Situations Minister Alexander Chupriyan told reporters on Tuesday.
Rescuers regularly announce so-called minutes of silence, when all equipment is turned off to hear any noise possibly made by trapped survivors.
"Rescuers of the Russian emergencies ministry have already begun fulfilling their main task, which is to search for survivors. The building [where they are working] had about nine floors and collapsed completely, and we hope that survivors will be found," the deputy minister said.
"We use heavy equipment to remove slabs of concrete. Then we use special equipment to scan the rubble, and we also announce minutes of silence. We employ different types of equipment in our search for survivors," he continued.
Chupriyan went on to say that a mobile hospital will be deployed in the quake-stricken area soon.
"Many people have been injured, so the hospital will be much-needed," the Russian official went on.
"For better or worse, Russian rescuers have vast experience. People greet us warmly <…> when they hear that we came from Russia, and this is a source of inspiration for us. We must live up to their expectations," he added.
In turn, Russian Deputy Emergencies Minister Daniil Martynov said the city was badly damaged in the disaster.
"Lots of buildings were not simply damaged, they were razed to the ground. The city is hit by massive traffic jams. Many people require aid. Some are waving their hands in a call for help, to show that there are people trapped under rubble. We stop to help them and then head on to our destination," Martynov said.
Over 100 rescuers from the Russian emergencies ministry have arrived in Turkey to assist a search and rescue effort in the hardest-hit province of Kahramanmaras.