Following coordination on the ground, the first AFDRU (Austrian Forces Disaster Relief Unit) rescue and recovery teams began their search operations in the Turkish earthquake zone this morning. At the same time, a base camp is being set up from which the emergency services will provide self-sufficient assistance for the next ten days.
Two rescue and recovery teams will be working around the clock in the city of Antakya (Hatay region) – the first 100 hours are crucial.
Ö1 Morgenjournal: Lieutenant Colonel Pierre Kugelweis from Hatay.
“We stand by the people in Turkey and Syria in these difficult hours. Rapid assistance after such a catastrophe is not only necessary, but a matter of course for Austria and our Armed Forces! Our soldiers and civilian staff have shown professionally how quickly they can be on the ground to help where help is urgently needed. Our forces are not facing easy days, as the first few hours after an earthquake are particularly crucial for saving lives. I wish our AFDRU unit a lot of strength and endurance for this challenging and difficult mission,” said Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner.
One group comprises 16 people, made up of specialists from the rescue and recovery team, two rescue dogs, an emergency doctor and emergency paramedics. The commander of the unit is Major Bernhard Lindenberg from the NBC Defense Center in Lower Austria. Among others, structural engineers, surveyors and interpreters from the Austrian Armed Forces are deployed under his leadership. The AFDRU disaster relief element is structured in such a way that three rescue and recovery groups can be deployed to two separate search locations. Medical, logistics and hygiene experts from the Austrian Armed Forces support the AFDRU rescuers in their operations.
In total 25 tons of equipment were also transported to the operations room yesterday. With this material, the emergency services on site can carry out their tasks independently. Mainly spreading and shearing tools, hydraulic equipment, power generators, heaters, medication, but also water and food were taken along. An emergency ambulance was also flown to the area of operation.
