Earthquake in Turkey: with the cold, “we must go faster” to hope to save survivors, warns the Turkish ambassador to France

“Our highest priority is to be able to save the greatest number of people in the hours to come”said Wednesday, February 8 on franceinfo, the Turkish ambassador to Paris Ali Onaner. “We still have to go faster so that the survivors under the debris do not suffer from the cold”he worries.

More difficult conditions than in 1999

The toll of the earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on Monday continues to grow and now exceeds 8,300 dead. This is the worst toll that Turkey has known since the August 1999 earthquake, during which nearly 17,000 people died. This time, the winter conditions complicate the task of the rescuers, making the search for survivors in the collapsed buildings more difficult.

“It’s very cold, it’s not like the 1999 earthquake where five days, six days after the earthquake, we could hope for miracles, to save lives”.

Ali Onaner, Turkish Ambassador to Paris

at franceinfo

The first teams of foreign rescue workers arrived on Tuesday. “Turkey has search teams of rescuers who are very experienced, who are among the best in the world. But their number is not enough,” according to the Turkish ambassador to France. “We are also grateful to France for having last night [mardi], sent 73 soldiers experienced in first aid, in research, in clearing operations”he adds.