Tazeen Akhtar
Pakistan as the brother country of Turkiye stands with full support with the victims of destructive earthquake that took hundreds of precious lives and damaged the properties and infrastructure. Pakistani and Turkiye are like two countries one nation. It is not possible to feel the pain of the brothers and sisters of Turkiye. Prime Minister Shehbaz expressed his deep sorrow with President Erdogan and sent immediate help in shape of material and medical as well as rescue personnel to help government of Turkiye in relief and restoration efforts.
On 6 Feb, C-130 aircraft reached Turkiye with Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team of Pakistan military with equipment that consists of 33 members led by a Major. The aircraft landed at Adana Airport that is near to the worst hit areas of Turkiye.The team was seen off at Noor Khan Air Force base Rawalpindi by Lt Gen Inam Haider Malik, Chairman National Disaster Management Authority of Pakistan.
Another Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team of Rescue 1122, renown department of Punjab government arrived at Istanbul from where the team left for the affected territories to assist in rescue of the victims and give them first aid.
Director General Rescue 1122, Dr Rizwan Naseer dispatched the team from Lahore airport. Ms Deeba Shehnaz of 1122, while talking to media at the airport said, ” We will do our best to help the victims in the time of calamity.”
Turkish and international media is reporting more than 3,700 people died in south Turkiye and northwest Syria. The Monday Morning was Mourning for the residents of Kahramanmaras of Turkiye and homeless people of Syria. Second jolt was more severe than the first one and total number of earthquakes have been reported four so far. Unfortunately the weather was already very cold and heavy rain also followed the earthquake that hampered the relief operations while the rescuers were enthusiastically searching for more survivors.
The earthquake was the biggest recorded worldwide by the U.S. Geological Survey since a tremor in the remote South Atlantic in August 2021.
In Turkey, the death toll stood at 2,316, the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said, making it the country’s deadliest earthquake since a tremor of similar magnitude in 1999 devastated the heavily populated eastern Marmara Sea region near Istanbul, killing more than 17,000.
