Turkey earthquake: UK rescue team and specialist equipment heading to Turkey to help with search
A team of 76 search and rescue specialists, along with search dogs, equipment including seismic listening devices, concrete cutting and breaking equipment, as well as a team of emergency medics to assess the situation on the ground, are set to fly out to Turkey soon.
Two earthquakes – 7.8 and a 7.5 magnitude – devastated parts of Turkey and Syria and destroyed thousands of buildings – with many people still trapped in the rubble.
So far the death toll is over 4,300 people and is expected to continue to rise as rescuers search through mountains of rubble in freezing snowy weather.
The quakes have caused devastation not seen in a long time.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said no Britons have been reported dead so far.
Development Minister Andrew Mitchell said the British team were due to fly to Turkey on Monday night but suffered a delay. On Tuesday morning he suggested they would leave “imminently” adding the first 72 hours were “critical.”
He told GB News: “I expect them to leave within the next couple of hours so that they land in daylight. And then this British expertise will be helping what is a huge, international effort to save lives.”
No 10 said the government was looking at ways it could support humanitarian action in northwest Syria, and its first approach would be to work through the UN.
The Foreign Office also said in north-west Syria the White Helmets, humanitarian volunteers who received UK-funding, have mobilised their resources to respond.
