Ukrainian Rescuers Return from Turkey

« Rescue works have stopped in the Turkish cities affected by the earthquake. The first group of a joint regiment of the Emergency Management Ministry of Ukraine has fulfilled its mission after examining some 100 ruined buildings in the cities of Golcuk, Sakarya, Dechenmendery, Adapazari, retrieving 76 victims, of which 6 were still alive,» reads the report submitted by Major General Viktor Kazmin, Ukrainian rescue team leader, to Lieutenant General Volodymyr Lohinov, Commander of the Civil Defense Forces, on August 31 at 1 a.m., after disembarking at the Black Sea port of Illichivsk, having spent two weeks of rescue operations in disaster-stricken Turkey. Queried by journalists, Gen. Kazmin responded that half the Ministry's rescue detachment have thus far returned on board the ferry. Another group of 51 experts, primarily medical and mobile hospital ancillary personnel — at the Turkish city of Kerfes are still busy providing emergency aid, including cooking meals and supplying fresh water. Every 24 hours the mobile hospital handles some 300 patients, the general added.

He did not specify how long the medical team would remain in Turkey, perhaps another team would arrive to relieve them, and then another. As for 82 emergency management servicemen who returned, they underwent special sanitary treatment at the Chervona Znamyanka garrison that same morning and took off in buses at 8 a.m. on August 30 to Kyiv. The rescuers will be given awards for their service.