Members of the China Search and Rescue Team board a chartered Air China plane at Adana Airport in Adana, Türkiye, Feb. 16, 2023. The 82-member Chinese rescue team ended their mission and departed from Türkiye's Adana Airport on Thursday. (Xinhua/Shadati)
ISTANBUL, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Two Chinese search and rescue teams departed Türkiye Thursday as their mission to save earthquake survivors came to a close.
Footage from local media showed an 11-member team and a 60-member team greeted by officials from the Turkish Foreign Ministry before their departure.
The two teams, respectively from the southern Chinese cities of Guangzhou and Wuhan, had been based in the southern province of Kahramanmaras, the epicenter of dual earthquakes.
The catastrophic earthquakes on Feb. 6 killed more than 36,000 people in Türkiye. Many more people were injured or displaced.
"We had recovered 12 people, including 11 injuries and one deceased," Yuan Jiongming, captain of the smaller team, told the local Demiroren News Agency.
The captain said they wished they could have saved more and that the team would keep in mind the friendliness of the people of Kahramanmaras they had experienced.
Meanwhile, a video surfaced Wednesday on local media showed Chinese search and rescue personnel being applauded by locals as they walk through Istanbul's famous Grand Bazaar.
Sharing the footage on its social media account, the Chinese Consulate General in Istanbul said "the long applause was a great indicator of our two nations' deep friendship." ■
Members of the China Search and Rescue Team prepare for departure at Adana Airport in Adana, Türkiye, Feb. 16, 2023. The 82-member Chinese rescue team ended their mission and departed from Türkiye's Adana Airport on Thursday. (Xinhua/Shadati)
A member of the China Search and Rescue Team works in the rubble of collapsed buildings in Antakya in the southern province of Hatay, Türkiye, Feb. 11, 2023. The 82-member Chinese rescue team ended their mission and departed from Türkiye's Adana Airport on Thursday. (Xinhua/Shadati)
Members of the China Search and Rescue Team work in the rubble of collapsed buildings in Antakya in the southern province of Hatay, Türkiye, Feb. 9, 2023. The 82-member Chinese rescue team ended their mission and departed from Türkiye's Adana Airport on Thursday. (Xinhua/Shadati)
Members of the China Search and Rescue Team work in the rubble of collapsed buildings in Antakya in the southern province of Hatay, Türkiye, Feb. 9, 2023. The 82-member Chinese rescue team ended their mission and departed from Türkiye's Adana Airport on Thursday. (Xinhua/Shadati)
Members of the China Search and Rescue Team are at work in Antakya in the southern province of Hatay, Türkiye, Feb. 9, 2023. The 82-member Chinese rescue team ended their mission and departed from Türkiye's Adana Airport on Thursday. (Xinhua/Shadati)
Members of the China Search and Rescue Team prepare for departure at Adana Airport in Adana, Türkiye, Feb. 16, 2023. The 82-member Chinese rescue team ended their mission and departed from Türkiye's Adana Airport on Thursday. (Xinhua/Shadati)
Members of the China Search and Rescue Team board a chartered Air China plane at Adana Airport in Adana, Türkiye, Feb. 16, 2023. The 82-member Chinese rescue team ended their mission and departed from Türkiye's Adana Airport on Thursday. (Xinhua/Shadati)
Members of the China Search and Rescue Team work in the rubble of collapsed buildings in Antakya in the southern province of Hatay, Türkiye, Feb. 9, 2023. The 82-member Chinese rescue team ended their mission and departed from Türkiye's Adana Airport on Thursday. (Xinhua/Shadati)
A member of the China Search and Rescue Team works in the rubble of collapsed buildings in Antakya in the southern province of Hatay, Türkiye, Feb. 11, 2023. The 82-member Chinese rescue team ended their mission and departed from Türkiye's Adana Airport on Thursday. (Xinhua/Shadati)
Members of the China Search and Rescue Team carry their equipment before departure in Antakya in the southern province of Hatay, Türkiye, Feb. 16, 2023. The 82-member Chinese rescue team ended their mission and departed from Türkiye's Adana Airport on Thursday. (Xinhua/Shadati)
Members of the China Search and Rescue Team work in the rubble of collapsed buildings in Antakya in the southern province of Hatay, Türkiye, Feb. 11, 2023. The 82-member Chinese rescue team ended their mission and departed from Türkiye's Adana Airport on Thursday. (Xinhua/Shadati)
This photo taken on Feb. 9, 2023 shows a view of Antakya in the southern province of Hatay, Türkiye. The 82-member Chinese rescue team ended their mission and departed from Türkiye's Adana Airport on Thursday. (Xinhua/Shadati)
Members of the China Search and Rescue Team go through passport control before departure at Adana Airport in Adana, Türkiye, Feb. 16, 2023. The 82-member Chinese rescue team ended their mission and departed from Türkiye's Adana Airport on Thursday. (Xinhua/Shadati)