Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) will dispatch 47 personnel to assist the authorities in Türkiye to look for the victims of the 7.8-magnitude (M) earthquake.
The earthquake struck the country on Monday (February 6, 2023) morning local time.
Director of Preparedness at Basarnas Agus Haryono told ANTARA here on Wednesday that the personnel would be deployed as a response to the request of the Turkish government.
"We will dispatch a joint SAR team consisting of 47 personnel, including (officers from) Basarnas, military, police, and the Health Ministry. We will provide assistance to search for and rescue the victims, who are still trapped underneath the collapsed buildings," he stated.
The SAR team will leave for Türkiye this afternoon from the Halim Perdana Kusuma Airport, Jakarta, aboard an Indonesian Air Force’s aircraft.
The personnel have met the medium class qualification set by the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG), a global network of countries and organizations involved in SAR activities under the auspices of the United Nations.
"We have been evaluated by the INSARAG team. Our capabilities in management, search and rescue, facilities and infrastructure, medical equipment, and other aspects are (assessed to be) quite good. Everything has been assessed by them and has been declared to meet the requirements,” Haryono stated.
The SAR equipment sent by Basarnas are special devices to look for victims under the rubble.
“The search tools (brought by the SAR team) are life detectors to detect body heat. We also brought two detection dogs, two K9s, from the Animal Unit of the National Police Headquarters," the Basarnas official noted.
In addition, the Indonesian SAR team will bring bridging and cutting tools to break down the walls and concrete to make access in order to help get the victims out of the ruins.
The team is also equipped with vibration sensors to monitor aftershocks.
Haryono noted that looking for victims in the debris was quite a risky task, so if an aftershock were to occur, the safety officers would immediately bring the SAR team to a safe place.
During their operation, the Indonesian SAR team will coordinate with the INSARAG’s secretariat in Türkiye, along with the assistance teams from other countries.
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