Pakistan sends 9 planes with relief goods for Turkey, more aid on way
16 containers carrying aid to earthquake-hit Turkey and Syria dispatched
Islamabad: Pakistan has sent a total of nine aircraft carrying tons of relief goods for the survivors to help the people of Turkey and Syria after the devastating earthquakes.
The ninth aircraft with 18 tons of relief goods landed on February 11, in Adana city in southern Turkey. Pakistan is sending more relief goods via planes and containers for the earthquake-hit regions of the two countries.
The IL-78 aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force transported some 16.5 tons of relief goods, winter tents, blankets and dried food, to Adana to help the people of Turkey. Pakistan was among the first countries to send medical squads, search and rescue teams, and relief materials via military aircraft and passenger flights to assist Turkey’s response. The death toll from the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria has surpassed 36,000 as rescue efforts continue. On February 13, the number of deaths in Turkey rose to 31,643 while more than 4,600 people have been killed in Syria.
Miracle moment: 17-year-old saved after 138 hours
More than 100 personnel from Pakistan’s Rescue 1122 and Pakistan Army urban search and rescue teams are continuing their search in freezing temperatures for survivors in collaboration with Turkish disaster relief organizations. Pakistani rescue teams have so far rescued 11 survivors, some pulled out some 100 hours after the disastrous quake, according to officials.
On February 12, Pakistan’s embassy in Turkey said that the “Pakistan Urban Search & Rescue (USAR) team saved one more life in Adiyaman”, a city in southeastern Turkey. Pakistani rescue team together with Turkish and Vietnamese rescue teams saved the life of a 17-year-old teenager in Adiyaman province some 138 hours after the earthquakes. Turkish news agency shared the video of the miraculous moment on Twitter in which rescuers shout “Allahu Akbar” (God is great) as the boy was pulled out alive.
162 tons of aid sent and more on way
On Monday, Lt Gen Inam Haider Malik, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) chairman. said the organisation has arranged and dispatched 162 tons of relief goods to Turkey and nine tons to Syria. Pakistan has also dispatched 447 tons of relief goods via 16 NLC trucks for quake-hit regions in Turkey and Syria. “This consignment contains large family-sized winter tents and blankets” for the quake-affected people”. The trucks from Pakistan will reach Turkey and Syria via Iran in 10 days. Another consignment of 195 tons consisting of double-ply tents and procurement of 1600 tons of food bags are under process which will be dispatched through trucks and Pakistan Navy ships to both countries in the coming days, the NDMA chairman said.
Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal praised the efforts of NDMA for swift relief assistance and asked to arrange mobile medical teams along with essential medicines for quake-hit countries. Pakistan’s schools, colleges, and universities have also set up fundraising drives to help the victims of the earthquakes.
