Fire and Rescue NSW firefighters get first-hand look at Türkiye earthquake devastation - Antakya
Published: 14 Feb 2023 12:51pm
Fire and Rescue NSW firefighters, responding to the earthquake disasters in Türkiye, have made their first assessment of the widespread devastation. The 52 firefighters are part of the Australian Government’s Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), which includes 68 Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) technicians. The deployment of 72 emergency workers landed in the city of Adana late on Sunday (Sydney time) before being transferred to Antakya in the province of Hatay, along with 22-tonnes of equipment that has been shipped from Australia. The FRNSW USAR experts have walked the streets of the city, viewing the widespread destruction and getting an understanding for the extremely challenging environment in which they are working.
The Australians have transported their own food rations, water purification, first aid kits and tents and have created a totally self-sufficient base camp so as not to impact on local communities and authorities. The group will receive instructions from the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) Sector Co-ordination Cell, staffed by four members of the FRNSW team, about where to focus its initial earthquake search and rescue efforts, in conjunction with local rescue crews. The deployment has seen state-of-the-art technical equipment taken over, including telescopic cameras to view under rubble, laser building monitors to detect building movement and seismic detection devices to pick up vibrations and activity that might indicate survivors are trapped underground. The rescue equipment also includes a vast amount of tools including jackhammers, power drills, metal cutting gear, heavy lifting, concrete cutting chainsaws and roping systems. The Australian contingent will work 24/7 in 12-hour rotations, relieving exhausted international crews already deployed under United Nations arrangements. Media note: Requests to interview the Disaster Assistance Response Team should be directed to media@dfat.gov.au DFAT footage can be obtained here: https://vimeo.com/798539982/ddffcc5840 [external link]
Updated: 14 Feb 2023 12:55pm
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