Turkey Quake: 14 Indonesian Rescuers Deployed to Find Victims

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The Indonesian Search and Rescue (INASAR) team has deployed 14 members at the Sector R operating point in Antakya, Hatay province, Turkey, to locate victims reported missing following the Feb. 6 quake.

"The members of the Charlie team are supported by a sniffer dog of the K-9 category," INASAR team leader Yopi Hariyadi said in a statement received from the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) on Saturday, Feb. 18.

The 14 members were deployed on Friday based on information regarding eight missing people in Sector R, an electrical area in Antakya. It was suspected that the missing people were buried under building debris, he said.

During the search and evacuation operation, the rescue team used excavators to dismantle debris, while still paying attention to safety, he added.

Meanwhile, team members used the K-9 sniffer dog to search for the buildings, Yopi said.

Also read: Indonesia Deploys 47 Rescuers to Turkey

He said that a few hours after the members were deployed and moved to another location, officers reported that three residents were suspected of being trapped under the rubble of a building. However, even after searching for about nine hours, the team has yet to find the residents.

He said that another team, the Alpha team, was deployed in the Diyarbakir area to look for two missing Indonesian citizens. However, the team returned to the INASAR post at 9:35 a.m. local time with no results.

The INASAR post is located in Hatay, Antakya, Hatay Province. In that area, Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams from several countries, including Australia, Argentina, and Switzerland, are still carrying out operations.

Starting Sunday, the search and rescue coordination will no longer be under the control of the USAR Coordination Cell (UCC) but will be taken over by the Turkish Disaster Management Agency (AFAD).

INASAR, under the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), is a USAR team with a medium qualification from the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG), he said.

Source: State News Antara