Azerbaijani Rescuers Save 49 People Alive from Quake Rubble in Türkiye

The rescue forces of Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Emergency Situations continue participating in search and rescue operations to eliminate the consequences of two deadly earthquakes in Türkiye.

On Friday, 103 hours after the devastating earthquake, 15-year-old Ayse Mustafa was rescued from the rubble in the province of Kahramanmarash by rescuers from Azerbaijan and volunteers, Anadolu Agency reports. She was taken to the hospital after the rescue operation.

According to the press service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, earlier on Thursday, Azerbaijani rescuers carried out an exhausting operation to extract a 17-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl from the rubble almost 90 hours after the earthquake.

Rescuers from Azerbaijan have removed a total of 48 people alive and 269 bodies from the rubble of collapsed buildings since their deployment in quake-torn Kahramanmarash, the epicenter of 7.7 and 7.6 magnitudes earthquake.

A total of 750 rescuers from Azerbaijan — the largest foreign rescue group in Türkiye as of today — have been part of the international assistance in the quake-hit country since February 6, when the earthquakes jolted ten southeastern provinces.

The government of Azerbaijan has so far sent humanitarian aid in 8 aircraft and 24 trucks, as well as provided financial assistance to Türkiye. Alongside the government’s efforts, Azerbaijan’s state and private companies is actively providing financial aid and humanitarian assistance to Türkiye.

According to the latest data compiled by the Turkish government, 20,213 people lost their lives and 80,052 people were injured in the devastating earthquakes. More than 6,444 houses were destroyed. The devastating earthquakes affected a total of 13.5 million people in 10 southeastern provinces of Türkiye.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Wednesday the disaster zone, where he addressed the victims of the earthquakes. He said Ankara has mobilized all the resources to eliminate the consequences of the earthquake and called for unity and solidarity to fight the disaster.

President Erdogan further announced that each of the families affected by the earthquakes will receive 10,000 Turkish liras ($530) in assistance from the state. According to him, residents of the disaster zone can stay in hotels in Antalya, Alanya, and Mersin regions upon their own decision. He also pledged “mass housing” for quake-affected people within a year.

Ankara on Tuesday announced a three-month state of emergency in the quake-hit provinces of Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kahramanmaras, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, and Sanliurfa to facilitate the search and rescue operations. Moreover, President Erdogan declared seven days of national mourning after the devastating quakes.