'Türkiye's pain is our pain': Pakistan to continue standing with quake victims

'We guarantee that we will go wherever they need help, even put our lives at risk,' says rescue leader Ferhan Halid

The rescue teams sent by Pakistan, on the directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif continue to carry out relief operation in southern Türkiye.

The rescue teams said on Thursday that they are ready to risk their lives in solidarity with victims of massive earthquakes that shook Türkiye last week.

"We are here to help the Turkish nation. Their pain is our pain. Seeing this great disaster touched us deeply. We stand by them. We guarantee that we will go wherever they need help, and even put our lives at risk," Ferhan Halid, the rescue team's leader told Anadolu.

The team of 85 experts from the Pakistan Army and Pakistan Search and Rescue unit reached Türkiye on February 7, just a day after the two back-to-back earthquakes. They have managed to get 18 survivors out of the rubble in Adiyaman province, with some later going to Hatay province on Monday.

Pointing out that the destruction caused by the twin quakes was enormous, Halid said they were "working with full motivation and dedication" to help the Turkish nation.

Also read: Turkey earthquake could result in loss of up to 1% of country's GDP in 2023

No country can respond to an earthquake of this magnitude in so many cities at the same time, he said, adding that foreign aid and support were definitely needed to deal with such a disaster.

Underlining that Pakistan and other nations stood by Türkiye, he wished the Turkish nation to remain strong.

It is pertinent to note that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to travel to Türkiye on Thursday for a two-day visit to express solidarity with the victims of the February 6 earthquakes.

According to the latest figures, over 36,100 people have been killed and over 108,000 others wounded after the two massive earthquakes struck southern Türkiye within the space of just hours on February 6, affecting more than 13 million people.

The earthquakes were centered in Kahramanmaras province and shook ten other provinces, namely Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Elazig, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, and Sanliurfa.

It was also felt in several countries in the region, including Syria, where the death toll has topped 3,600.