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.
First large-scale alpine solar plant approved in Switzerland
This content was published on
The approval was met with satisfaction by the project's organisers, but it also brings with it a certain amount of pressure.
Medieval squirrels may have ‘helped spread leprosy’
This content was published on
An examination of squirrel remains in the United Kingdom has opened up interesting questions and possibilities in terms of the history of the disease.
Swiss money laundering office registers record number of reports
This content was published on
The Money Laundering Reporting Office Switzerland (MROS) registered a record number of reports of suspicious activity last year.
Two teens accused of planning terror attack released from custody
This content was published on
The Schaffhausen judiciary has released the two teenagers from custody who allegedly planned bomb attacks in Switzerland.
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.