Swiss rescue team saves 11 people trapped under debris in quake-hit Türkiye

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

ISTANBUL (AA) – A Swiss rescue team on Friday pulled a 6-month-old baby and her mother out from the rubble of a collapsed building in quake-hit southern Türkiye, bringing its rescues to 11 in total.

The rescue of the baby girl and her mother took place in the Hatay province, the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit said on Twitter, sharing a photo of the dramatic rescue of the baby.

"After a total of eleven rescues, the mission of the Swiss rescuers, plus 8 dogs from REDOG, continues," the unit added.

Separately, the Swiss Foreign Ministry announced Friday on Twitter that a team 12 psychologists, logisticians, doctors, and housing specialists will fly to Türkiye during the day.

Also, specialists from the Swiss Development and Cooperation will travel to Aleppo in Syria to assess the needs of the relief effort, it added.

Some 20,665 people were killed and over 80,088 others injured by two strong earthquakes that jolted southern Türkiye on Monday, according to the latest official figures.

The magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes, centered in the Kahramanmaras province, affected more than 13 million people across 10 provinces, also including Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, and Sanliurfa.

Several countries in the region, including Syria and Lebanon, also felt the strong tremors that struck Türkiye in the space of fewer than 10 hours.

In neighboring Syria, the death toll has climbed above 3,300, with more than 5,200 people wounded, according to compiled figures.