Since February 7, 82 rescue workers from the Austrian Armed Forces have been in the earthquake zone in Antakya with 45 tons of equipment. So far, nine people have been rescued from the rubble by the specialists. In the night from yesterday to today, our soldiers rescued a man from a cavity and a family with a woman, two men and two children from a trapped passageway.
“Even if the chances are getting slimmer – we are continuing to search and are not giving up hope,” says Major Bernhard Lindenberg, head of operations on site.
Ö1-Morgenjournal: Lieutenant Colonel Kugelweis – We have already been able to save 9 people.
“Our soldiers in the earthquake area are faced with particular psychological and physical challenges – our unit is well equipped and equipped and is also continuously supported by an army psychologist. And all this in combination gives them the opportunity to continue the search for victims unabated. Every human life saved is worth the effort. I am proud of our soldiers who continue to save lives under the most difficult conditions,” said Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner.
The emergency services have been braving the difficult conditions for days. No electricity, barely passable roads and sub-zero temperatures are making the operation on site more difficult. The search and rescue of victims continues unabated. Rescue dogs, special cameras, power generators and other equipment are being used in close cooperation with local aid workers. Among other things, the emergency services have several thousand bottles of drinking water, more than 2,000 food rations, ten large tents and six power generators with them. The AFDRU disaster relief element consists of three rescue and recovery groups, which are deployed at two separate search locations and have been working around the clock since their arrival. The team also includes emergency doctors, emergency paramedics, mountain guides, dog handlers, structural engineers, surveyors and interpreters as well as medical, logistics and hygiene experts from the Austrian Armed Forces, who support the AFDRU rescuers in their operations.
