Members from the Blue Sky Rescue Team, a Chinese civil relief squad, participate in rescue operation in Malatya, Türkiye, Feb. 10, 2023. China has offered an array of rescue teams and vital items to Türkiye and Syria since massive earthquakes and aftershocks jolted the countries on Monday, in an effort to help search for survivors trapped under the rubble. (Photo by Mustafa Kaya/Xinhua)
ANTAKYA, Türkiye, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- A female survivor was pulled out Friday afternoon from collapsed buildings in the quake-striken Turkish province of Hatay, following hours of joint efforts by Chinese and local rescuers.
The woman was plucked to safety at around 3:40 p.m. local time (1240 GMT) from rubble in downtown Antakya, making her the fourth survivor that the Chinese team helped rescue.
Earlier at noon, Turkish rescuers discovered signs of life when they were clearing a heap of building ruins with excavators. Immediately afterward, their Chinese counterparts were called to the scene.
The Chinese rescuers squeezed a flexible endoscope camera through small gaps in rubble to survey the condition beneath and confirmed through shouts that a woman had been trapped under.
Members from the Chinese Rescue Team of Ramunion conduct rescue work in Belen, Türkiye, Feb. 9, 2023. (Rescue Team of Ramunion/Handout via Xinhua)
The Chinese team, alongside Turkish rescuers, then started demolishing the surface of buried areas with rescue machinery, and successfully pulled out the woman after three hours of efforts.
Powerful earthquakes struck southern Türkiye and northern Syria on Monday. Tens of thousands of people are confirmed dead across Türkiye and Syria, with the numbers expected to rise.
The earthquake destroyed people's homes and local infrastructure. Relief items and supplies are pouring in. Search and rescue efforts are underway.
Members from the Blue Sky Rescue Team conduct rescue work in the Malatya province, Türkiye, Feb. 10, 2023. (Blue Sky Rescue Team/Handout via Xinhua)■
