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Poland sends rescuers after massive quake rocks Turkey, Syria

06.02.2023 11:30
The Polish government has announced it is sending a search and rescue team to help with the consequences of a devastating earthquake which shook Turkey and Syria in the early hours of Monday.
Audio
The Polish government has announced it will send a search and rescue team to help with the consequences of a devastating earthquake which shook Turkey and Syria in the early hours of Monday.
The Polish government has announced it will send a search and rescue team to help with the consequences of a devastating earthquake which shook Turkey and Syria in the early hours of Monday. Twitter/Andrzej Bartkowiak, head of Polish State Fire Service

The move was announced by Poland’s Interior Minister Mariusz Kamiński, Polish state news agency PAP reported.

Kamiński said in a tweet on Monday morning: “Following the earthquake in Turkey and the appeal for assistance from Turkish authorities, I proposed to send a search and rescue team of the Polish State Fire Service, called HUSSAR, consisting of 76 fire fighters and 8 rescue dogs. We are waiting for a response.”

An hour later, the interior minister added: “We have received official confirmation from Turkey that our assistance has been accepted. Polish fire fighters will depart for Turkey already today.”

‘Turkey can count on Poland’: PM

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said in a tweet: “This morning I received news of the tragic earthquake in southern Turkey. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims. Turkey can count on Poland at this difficult time.”

He added: “Rescuers from the Polish Fire Service’s HUSSAR team are ready to help anytime.”

Earthquake rocks Turkey, Syria, killing more than 900    

The 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck southeastern Turkey, near the Syrian border, in the early hours of Monday morning, British broadcaster the BBC reported.

Its epicentre was near the city of Gaziantep, according to officials.

The earthquake occurred while people were asleep and there have been dozens of aftershocks since, local authorities said. 

Officials have stated the death toll is at least 912 in Turkey alone, with over 5,000 more injured, but these figures are likely to rise, according to news reports.

Hundreds of buildings collapsed in both countries as a result of the huge quake, with rescuers racing to save those trapped under the debris, BBC reported.

(pm)

Source: PAP, BBC, The Times

Click on the audio player above for a report by Radio Poland's Piotr Miszczuk