China News Service, Beijing, February 16 (Reporter Guo Chaokai) The reporter learned from the Emergency Management Department that on the evening of February 16, 82 members of the Chinese rescue team that went to Turkey for international rescue returned home on an Air China chartered flight.
The rescue team from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China returned on the same plane.
At 12 o'clock local time on the 16th, the Chinese rescue team evacuated from the Hatay Stadium camp.
Before evacuating the camp, the rescue team left food, drinking water, some tents and other living materials and all medical supplies to the disaster area as another tribute to the people in the disaster area.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Emergency Management
Zhao Ming, the leader of the Chinese rescue team, said that after arriving in the local disaster area on February 8, the rescue team went to Hatay Province, one of the most severely affected by the earthquake, to carry out search and rescue missions according to the scope proposed by the earth.
During the search, rescue teams searched hard for signs of life without giving up all hope.
During the execution of the rescue mission, the rescue team dispatched a total of 21 batches of rescuers and 308 person-times to search and evaluate 87 buildings.
During the period, the rescue team overcame difficulties such as aftershocks, severe cold, tight supply of logistics supplies, and traffic congestion. The team members still maintained full enthusiasm and devoted themselves to the search and rescue work.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Emergency Management
The work of the Chinese rescue team has been highly affirmed by the local people.
When the Turkish government saw off the rescue team that day, Ismail Ismail, regional coordinator of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressed his deep gratitude to the hard work of the Chinese rescue team.
He said that the efforts made by the rescue team will promote the development of bilateral relations.
On the same day, Chinese Ambassador to Turkey Liu Shaobin went to Adana International Airport to see him off.
He said that the Chinese rescue team came to Turkey to carry out rescue, which fully embodies the international humanitarian spirit of the Chinese government and people, embodies the friendship of the Chinese and Turkish people to help each other and share weal and woe, and implements the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind with practical actions.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Emergency Management
In the afternoon of the same day, the rescue team left the Hatay Stadium camp and returned to Beijing via Adana International Airport during the farewell of the Turkish side and the personnel of the Chinese Embassy in Turkey.
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