The Hong Kong team headed for the quake-hit region with 49 rescue experts from the department of fire and other personnel.
Hong Kong -ready to help- sends 59 rescue persons to its neighboring countries, Turkey and Syria, struck by two massive earthquakes that took the lives of 12,000 innocent citizens.
Hong Kong is the latest to send its rescue team to the region and join forces of UK, South Korea, China and Taiwan.
The southern part of Turkey and some parts of Syria were hit by a magnitude 7.8 quake on Monday followed by a 7.7 magnitude about nine hours later. The back-to-back natural incident has brutally put a terrible image worldwide and citizens all over the country are praying for their better health.
The leader of Hong Kong’s team is Yiu Men-yeung, the deputy chief officer, and the team comprises 49 members of the Fire Service Department’s Urban Search and Rescue Team, and two rescue dogs who are looking forward to this calamity.
Officers from the city’s Security Bureau, Immigration Department, and the Department of Health were also dispatched on Wednesday night.
Acting Chief Executive Eric Chan and Secretary for Security Chris Tang saw the team off at the Hong Kong International Airport.
“I think this deployment is very meaningful,” said Chan. “It can also show mutual aid, not only in the country, but also for people of other countries. We will help when there is need…”
Peyami Kalyoncu, consul general of Türkiye to Hong Kong and Macau, said at the airport that they were “very grateful.”
The consul general said that his country has requested other states to facilitate and assist the survivors after Turkey was hit by “one of the strongest earthquake in our history.”
“I would like to thank the government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, they very fast, promptly and positively, replied to our request,” said Kalyoncu.
- Published By Team Hongkong Journalist
