Swiss rescue team leader hails cooperation with Turkish counterparts

GENEVA

The head of the Swiss crew involved in search, rescue and relief efforts in Türkiye after the Feb. 6 devastating earthquakes has hailed cooperation with Turkish teams.

Philippe Zuberbuhler, the chief of the team comprising 15 volunteers from Switzerland and France, said they arrived in the Elbistan district of Kahramanmaras province on Feb. 7, a day after the earthquakes hit Türkiye.

"Compared to the rescue operations we took part in after the earthquakes in Nepal and Haiti, cooperation between local and foreign rescue teams is very good in Türkiye," Zuberbuhler said.

He added that the Turkish disaster agency AFAD built a shelter in the region to provide food, and contacted international teams to support them.

The Swiss rescuer said it is not the first time that Türkiye has witnessed such a disaster, adding: "I am sure that the entire country will unify, and you will overcome this."

Besides Turkish crew, more than 7,600 foreign personnel from 76 countries are on the ground in the affected region, according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

Over 35,400 people have died in the magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 quakes that struck southern Türkiye nine hours apart on Feb. 6.

*Writing by Nur Asena Erturk in Ankara