Job Heinen, spokesman for the Dutch search and rescue team USAR, is impressed by the way people are emerging from under the rubble. ‘This offers hope to continue with this work.’
The Dutch USAR team has been active since Tuesday in southern Turkey, in the center of the area most affected by Monday’s earthquakes. The 65 rescuers and eight dogs, divided into four teams, rescued at least six people from under the rubble.
“For some of these rescues, they had to drill through concrete first,” Heinen says. Fortunately, where his team operates, there is no snow. “That’s a little easier. Even if it’s cold there.’ At night, the temperature drops several degrees below zero. However, he is surprised how some people emerge from under the rubble.
On the way to his workplace, the team saw “an alternation of completely collapsed buildings and buildings that appear to have no damage.” According to Heinen, people are now living en masse on the streets or in their cars, “out of fear of aftershocks.” Even the Dutch team itself sleeps in tent cities, for fear of falling debris.
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Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
