Indonesia Deploys 47 Rescuers to Turkey

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) will dispatch 47 members to assist the Turkey authorities searching for the victims of the devastating earthquake that killed thousands of people on Monday, Feb. 6.

Speaking to State News Antara, the director of preparedness at Basarnas Agus Haryono said on Wednesday, Feb. 8 that the personnel would be deployed as a response to the request of the Turkish government.

"We will dispatch a joint search and rescue team consisting of 47 members, comprising representatives from Basarnas, military, police, and the Health Ministry. We will assist to search for and rescue the victims, who are still trapped underneath the collapsed buildings," he said.

The team will leave for Turkey on Wednesday afternoon from the Halim Perdana Kusuma Airport in Jakarta, aboard an Indonesian Air Force aircraft.

Also read: Indonesia to Send Humanitarian Aid to Turkey

The members have met the medium-class qualification set by the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG), a global network of countries and organizations involved in search and rescue activities under the United Nations.

"We have been evaluated by the INSARAG team. Our capabilities in management, search and rescue, facilities and infrastructure, medical equipment, and other aspects are [assessed to be] quite good. Everything has been assessed by them and has been declared to meet the requirements,” he said.

The search and rescue types of equipment sent by Basarnas are the special device to look for victims under the rubble.

“The search tools [brought by the team] are life detectors to detect body heat. We also brought two detection dogs, two K9s, from the Animal Unit of the National Police Headquarters," the Basarnas official said.

Also read: Five Indonesians Remain Unreachable after Turkey Quake

In addition, the Indonesian team will bring bridging and cutting tools to break down the walls and concrete to make access to help get the victims out of the ruins.

The team is also equipped with vibration sensors to monitor aftershocks.

Haryono said that looking for victims in the debris was quite a risky task, so if an aftershock were to occur, the safety officers would immediately bring the rescue team to a safe place.

During their operation, the Indonesian rescuers will coordinate with the INSARAG’s secretariat in Turkey, along with assistance teams from other countries.

Source: State News Antara