With some more survivors being rescued from under debris of collapsed buildings, hope still survives, albeit faintly, in the hearts of the grieving families. Rescuers had pulled children from under the collapsed buildings of the Turkey-Syria earthquake on Saturday even as the death toll rose to 24,000. With the winter freeze, many are struggling for desperate aid, food in the quake-hit country.
On Friday, rescue crews have saved a 10-day-old baby and his mother trapped in the ruins.
As part of the 'Operation Dost', the NDRF team assisting the rescue operations in Turkey has recused an 8-year-old girl from the collapsed structure.
According to the NDRF spokesperson, the operation was undertaken in Nurdagi town of Gaziantep province along with Turkish army personnel.
NDRF personnel had rescued a 6-year-old girl from the same area on Thursday.
"Rescuers have saved two lives and retrieved 13 bodies from the debris till now. The rescue operation of the force is continuing since February 7 in the affected areas of Turkiye," the spokesperson said.
Three NDRF teams comprising 152 personnel are deployed in Turkiye for undertaking relief and rescue operations.
Hundreds and thousands of people have been homeless and short of food in bleak winter conditions.
According to the state media, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad made his first trip to the affected areas since the quake.
Cuba will send medics to Turkey, Syria to assist in relief and rescue operations. Around 32 medics will depart for Turkey, announced the Cuban authorities. Countries around the world volunteered healthcare workers and aid to the country, that has witnessed the deadliest quake in two decades.
Amid questions being raised at President Erdogan and his government in tackling the situation, he had visited Turkey's Adiyaman province on Friday. While speaking to the grieving families, he acknowledged that the government's response was not as fast as it could have been.
With the elections close by, his future is in line after 20 years in power.
Turkey has more experience of earthquake than almost any other country but the founder of the main volunteer rescue group believes this time politics got in the way, reported BBC.
