Romanian rescuers in Turkey managed to pull four people out from under the rubble, including a 16-year-old teenager.
“Yesterday morning (n.r. – Wednesday), in the intervention area indicated by the Turkish authorities, the Romanian rescuers identified a conscious person, a 16-year-old teenager, stuck under the rubble. After several hours of intervention, in the action site of the Romanian rescuers, an aftershock with a magnitude of 4.2 degrees on the Richter scale was recorded, a fact that led to changes in the collapsed elements, thus complicating the rescue mission of the teenager. An excavator was requested in support to support the upper part of the construction, and the mixed support team continued the rescue mission, by creating an access tunnel to the victim”, says the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (IGSU) on Thursday, on its Facebook page.
“With sustained efforts and over 20 hours of continuous work, the team from Romania managed to save the young man stuck under the rubble, he being conscious and cooperative. For the continuation of the necessary medical care, he was handed over to the medical crews”, states the cited source. Until this moment, the mixed team from Romania managed to save 4 people, victims of the series of earthquakes produced in the Republic of Turkey. During the night, at the direction of the Turkish authorities, the team from Romania carried out 2 more search missions in 2 different sites. “Unfortunately, no living persons have been identified”, states IGSU.
Two support teams from Romania are present in Turkey, made up of RO-USAR specialized search-rescue staff, SMURD doctors and assistants, staff with canine teams from the Utility Dogs Club, Transilvania Rescue Dogs, Gugulania Rescue Dogs.
Moldovan rescuers pulled out a little boy trapped under the rubble for 4 days
In its turn, the team of rescuers from the Republic of Moldova on a mission in Turkey managed to pull out a three-year-old boy from under the ruins of a building that was leveled by the devastating earthquake four days ago. The little one was alive, in good condition.
Most likely, the boy was protected during the disaster by one of the relatives, who unfortunately was found breathless under the rubble.
Death toll over 19,000
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that the death toll in his country from Monday’s devastating earthquake had reached 16,170. Thus, the total death toll in Turkey and Syria reached 19,362.
In Turkey, people are increasingly angry that construction laws have been poorly enforced, which has led to the collapse of so many buildings and such a dramatic death toll, the BBC writes. The BBC presented information about some of the recently built buildings that collapsed during Monday’s 7.8 magnitude earthquake, which was followed by dozens of aftershocks, some very strong. Thus, one of the buildings in Malatya was even completed last year, and screenshots circulated on social media with an announcement saying it was “completed in accordance with the latest earthquake regulations.” The text stated that all the materials and workmanship used were “first class”.
Twitter restored in Turkey after being blocked amid criticism of the authorities
Access to the Twitter social network was restored in Turkey on Thursday, after being blocked for about 12 hours by the country’s main mobile phone providers. After the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Turkey on Monday, social networks here were flooded with messages from people criticizing the slow pace of deployment of intervention teams to rescue people trapped under the rubble. The Turkish Deputy Minister of Infrastructure, Omer Fatih Sayan, stated in a tweet that he had spoken with two senior Twitter executives, John Hughes and Ronan Costello. “I reminded them of the responsibility they have towards our country following this disaster”, he emphasized, adding that he would like to see more cooperation in the “fight against disinformation”.
Netblocks.org warned that filtering risks ‘impacting rescue operations’ for victims, pointing out that Turkey has a ‘long history of restricting (the use of) social networks during national emergencies and security incidents’.
In recent weeks, Turkish officials have repeatedly issued warnings about the use of social media networks ahead of presidential and legislative elections scheduled for May 14, in which President Recep Tayyip Erdogan intends to renew his mandate after 20 years in power. to power.
Turkish police arrested at least 12 people after Monday’s earthquakes for posting messages on social media critical of the Turkish government’s handling of the disaster. the powerful earthquakes of Monday.
31 Romanians repatriated from Turkey overall
Aircraft of the Romanian Air Force repatriated from Turkey, during the night from Wednesday to Thursday, another 10 Romanian citizens, including two children, who were boarded from the airports of Adana and Malatya. The number of people repatriated by the Romanian Defense Minister (MAp) aircraft since Monday – when Turkey was shaken by two earthquakes with a magnitude above 7 – and up to now is 31 Romanians and two Polish citizens.
“The Ministry of National Defense continues to act in support of the citizens affected by the recent earthquakes in Turkey. Thus, aircraft of the Romanian Air Force repatriated, during the night from Wednesday to Thursday, February 8/9, another 10 Romanian citizens, including two children, who were boarded from the airports of Adana and Malatya”, MApN says.
The number of people repatriated by MApN aircraft since Monday, February 6, and up to now is 31 Romanians and two Polish citizens.
Romania to send food, clothes, mattresses, blankets in Syria
Romania will help Syria heavily affected by Monday’s earthquake and will send food, clothes, mattresses, blankets, the decision being taken on Thursday, in the meeting of the National Committee for Emergency Situations.
According to a statement from the Government, given the situation generated by the earthquake produced on February 6 in Syria, respectively the request of the Syrian Arab Republic, through the European Civil Protection Mechanism, for the provision of international assistance, following the consultation with President Klaus Iohannis, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă convened, on Thursday, in a hybrid system, the National Committee for Emergency Situations.
The newly adopted decision provides for the priority support of the Syrian Arab Republic with material goods, which consist of several types of weapons products, clothing, but also food products, canned goods, which will be made available by the National Administration of State Reserves and Special Issues.
The head of the Emergency Situations Department Raed Arafat explained on Wednesday that the aid to Syria will be humanitarian, considering that our country has already sent rescue teams to Turkey and cannot act in the field and in another area.