ANKARA, February 8. /TASS/. Ankara appreciates the assistance of Russian rescuers participating in relief efforts in the quake-hit areas of southeastern Turkey, the regional office of the country’s Emergency Management Authority told TASS on Wednesday.
"Naturally, we appreciate the assistance provided by rescuers from abroad, including from Russia, who are helping us cope with the aftermath of the earthquake. All of us here are working almost non-stop in the hope of saving as many people as possible," an official said.
Russia has assisted neighboring Turkey in dealing with major natural disasters before. In July 2021, Turkey rented Be-200-ChS planes from Russia to liquidate big forest fires that started simultaneously in several Turkish resorts.
A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake rocked southeastern Turkey’s Kahramanmaras province on Monday night. Aftershocks were felt in 10 provinces, as well as in neighboring countries, such as Syria, where major damage was also reported.
According to the latest information, more than 6,200 people were killed and over 37,000 people were injured in Turkey. The death toll in Syria is over 1,500, with more than 3,500 persons injured, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies reported, while Syria’s Health Ministry said there were over 1,200 deaths and more than 2,000 wounded persons.
On Tuesday, Russian rescue teams arrived in Turkey and Syria to help with the aftermath of the quake. Unlike their foreign counterparts, waiting to be transported to the scene of the disaster, Russian rescuers immediately left for the mountainous area of Kahramanmaras, which was the hardest hit, as the Russian Emergencies Ministry’s aeromobile task force was equipped with off-road vehicles.