Vietnamese rescue team returns home after relief efforts in Türkiye earthquakes

By Muhammet Tarhan

ANKARA (AA) - A team of rescuers from Vietnam returned to their country on Wednesday after assisting Türkiye in post-quake relief efforts.

According to information obtained from Vietnam's Embassy in Ankara, the search and rescue team of 76 people and six sniffer dogs started working in the earthquake zones on Feb. 13 in Hatay.

The team had participated in a search and rescue operation in a foreign country for the first time after the earthquakes.

The Vietnamese crew discovered 15 persons under the rubble, two of whom showed signs of life.

The team was seen off with applause at the Istanbul Airport.

At least 43,556 people were killed by two strong earthquakes that jolted southern Türkiye on Feb. 6.

The magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes, centered in the Kahramanmaras province, affected more than 13 million people across 11 provinces, including Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, Elazig, and Sanliurfa.

In Syria, at least 5,840 people have been killed in the deadly earthquakes.