MOSCOW, February 8. /TASS/. A team of more than 50 Russian rescuers is flying to an earthquake-hit Turkey on Wednesday, said Daniil Martynov, an adviser to the Emergency Situations Minister.
"Literally as we speak, a third group is taking off to reinforce our team. That’s about 50 more people," he said on Rossiya-24 television.
The group is taking with them three pieces of equipment and everything needed to provide more assistance, he said.
Martynov added that the rescuers have all the necessary equipment to do the work, and showed exemplary performance on the very first day.
"We have an area of responsibility - the most destroyed, the most difficult areas - that’s where we are working. But we also have designated a mobile group that responds to all requests that come from both Turkish and international teams, from local residents," he said.
Emergency Situations Minister Alexander Kurenkov on Wednesday morning gave an order to send an additional rescue team to Turkey. It was reported that the rescuers were preparing to leave for the disaster area.
A total of more than 100 Emergency Situations Ministry rescuers arrived in Turkey for the search and rescue operation in the Kahramanmaras province, which was hardest-hit by the earthquake. First Deputy Emergency Situations Minister Alexander Chupriyan said Russian rescuers will work in Turkey until the Turkish government ends the search and rescue operation.
A magnitude 7.7 earthquake hit southeastern Turkey on February 6. The tremors and the hundreds of aftershocks that followed were felt across 10 provinces of the country and in neighboring countries including Syria. According to the latest data, about 7,000 people were killed in Turkey and more than 38,000 sustained injuries. In Syria, more than 800 people were killed and more than 1,400 injured. According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, more than 1,500 people were killed in Syria and more than 3,500 sustained injuries.