Some 87 members of the Swiss Rescue unit, along with 22 personnel and 14 search dogs from Redog, have rescued 37 people from the rubble of toppled buildings in Turkey.
But the chances of finding more survivors are fading given the time people have been trapped without water in freezing conditions, rescuers said.
A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck near the border of Turkey and Syria on Monday, causing devastation in the region.
The Swiss contingent, which is part of an international rescue force of 90 teams, will be supplemented by 10 members of the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit later this week, according to the news agency Keystone-SDA.
Politics hampers Syria rescue
Staff from the Swiss charity Caritas are helping coordinate humanitarian assistance in Syria.
But rescue operations in Syria are being hampered by strained political relations between the country’s regime and many other nations.
“We must separate political considerations from the humanitarian imperative,” Robert Mardini, Director-General of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), told Swiss public broadcaster RTS on Thursday.
“There is no difference between the suffering of Turkey and Syria following this devastating earthquake. We must show solidarity with Syria.”
Some 500 ICRC workers already operate in Syria, which has been devastated by more than a decade of civil war.
Swiss Solidarity, the humanitarian arm of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation – swissinfo.ch’s parent company – has raised several million francs after launching an appealExternal link.
Popular Stories
More
Demographics
Flat-hunting in Switzerland’s cheapest and most expensive municipalities
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Switzerland presents special toilet for cows to cut emissions
This content was published on
A toilet specially designed for cows, aimed at reducing ammonia emissions per animal by 15%, was presented at a farm in Hellbühl, canton Lucerne, on Wednesday.
Swiss petition against US F-35 fighter jets gathers 42,000 signatures
This content was published on
A petition by the "Stop-F35 Alliance" urging the Swiss government to immediately halt the purchase of new US fighter jets has gathered 42,500 signatures.
Swiss House of Representatives backs online Schengen visa system
This content was published on
In future, Schengen visa applications should be made via a European Union online platform. On Tuesday, Switzerland's House of Representatives adopted a revision of Swiss legislation on this issue.
UBS study: Switzerland is still the richest country in the world
This content was published on
Average per-capita wealth in Switzerland rose last year to $687,000 (CHF561,000), the UBS Global Wealth Report said on Wednesday.
UBS and Pictet report data leak after cyber attack on provider Chain IQ
This content was published on
Swiss banks UBS and Pictet on Wednesday confirmed they had suffered a data leak due to a cyber attack on their subcontractor Chain IQ in Switzerland.
Iran will respond firmly if US gets directly involved in Israeli strikes, says UN ambassador
This content was published on
Iran says it will respond firmly to the United States if it becomes directly involved in Israel's military campaign, the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva said on Wednesday.
Swiss politicians concerned by cut to Lausanne-Paris TGV services
This content was published on
The Vaud cantonal parliament wants to maintain six direct daily TGV high-speed train services between Lausanne and Paris.
This content was published on
Switzerland and Norway have signed a bilateral agreement for the future storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) under the North Sea.
Switzerland must better protect whistleblowers, says OECD
This content was published on
Switzerland must step up its anti-corruption efforts and provide better protection for whistleblowers while increasing fines for guilty firms, an OECD anti-bribery group says.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss pull four people from the rubble in quake-hit southern Turkey
This content was published on
Swiss rescue workers have so far pulled four people alive from the rubble in Hatay, southern Turkey, which was hit by an earthquake on Monday.
Swiss humanitarian aid deployed in Turkey and Syria
This content was published on
Swiss rescue workers arrive in Turkey to assist victims of two earthquakes that have killed more than 4,800 people in Turkey and Syria.
Switzerland offers support to Syria and Turkey after major quake
This content was published on
Switzerland has offered support to Syria and Turkey after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck southern Turkey and northwest Syria early on Monday.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.