Swiss rescue workers have arrived in Turkey as part of international efforts to assist victims of two earthquakes that have killed more than 5,000 people in Turkey and Syria.
Overnight, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation dispatched an 80-strong team from the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit, army personnel and eight rescue dogs.
A first Swiss team of experts has been working to find victims trapped in the rubble according to a senior Swiss army official.
Alessio Marazza told the Keystone-SDA news agency that there is still a good chance of rescuing people trapped in the debris.
“When it is cold, you don’t get dehydrated as much and you live longer under the rubble than in the summer,” Marazza said. According to him, it is even possible to survive for three to four days. A total of 29 Swiss army personnel are engaged in Turkey.
Switzerland is also preparing follow-up aid shipments that will be sent when the situation has been assessed.
A 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck southern Turkey and northwest Syria early on Monday, followed by another 7.5 magnitude quake.
The death toll has mounted to nearly 4,000 in Turkey and at least 1,500 people in Syria with many more injured or left without shelter in wintry conditions.
Other Swiss humanitarian aid agencies are also active in the region, including the rescue dog service Redog that sent ten experts and six dogs to Turkey on a Rega air rescue jet.
The charity Caritas said it has mobilised its nine staff already in Syria to assist the rescue efforts. The agency said it would also dispatch humanitarian aid and financial assistance.
Donations
Swiss Solidarity, the humanitarian arm of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation – swissinfo.ch’s parent company -, has launched an appeal for donations to support victims of the earthquakes.
About CHF2.7 million ($2.9 million) have been pledged by several Swiss charities and other donors so far.
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