Donning an Indonesian cap and sporting a brooch gifted by a Chinese rescue crew, a global cargo inspector in Türkiye’s Adana province is the go-to individual for worldwide search and rescue groups within the earthquake-hit area.
“Good afternoon, everything arrived well to Barcelona airport,” Mehmet Baykan reveals a message he acquired after transport forgotten cargo of 1 such crew from Spain.
“Thank you very much for your help,” the message ends with a coronary heart emoticon.
Baykan, 50, has been in worldwide cargo companies for the previous 16 years. Since final 12 months, he has been volunteering with Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD).
“Our work is humanitarian,” Baykan advised Anadolu exterior Adana Airport the place tons of of worldwide search and rescue crew members have gathered.
Dubbed because the worst earthquakes of the twenty first century, the dual tremors had been centered in Kahramanmaras and struck 10 different provinces — Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Hatay, Gaziantep, Malatya, Kilis, Osmaniye, Elazig, and Sanliurfa. More than 13 million individuals have been affected by the devastating quakes.
Türkiye issued a level-4 alert, calling in worldwide assist.
Around 100 nations have supplied help to this point, with many having despatched rescue groups.
Over 9,000 worldwide search and rescue personnel flew into Türkiye after the quakes-hit the southern provinces. These groups introduced alongside tons of of tons of search and rescue instruments and gear in addition to sniffer canines.
‘Thank you messages from around the globe’
With his damaged English, Baykan is able to assist the non-Turkish groups. His cellphone is crammed with contact numbers of translators.
“I have made friends from across the world. They are sending thank you messages, inviting me to their countries, promising VIP protocol,” Baykan stated, as he helped a German assist crew.
“You are really a good person. May Allah bless you with His divine blessings. When you come to Pakistan, plz (please) tell me… you will be our VIP guest,” Baykan reveals one other message from a Pakistani crew who flew into Turkiye to assist post-quake search and rescue operations.
Baykan has been on the street since Feb. 6-the fateful day when the dual earthquakes precipitated widespread damages in southern Türkiye.
“For the first three days, I was with another 255 volunteers” on the AFAD Adana camp, he stated.
Given his expertise in dealing with worldwide cargo, Baykan was quickly deployed to Adana Airport, which has became a middle of worldwide arrivals and exit for non-Turkish rescuers, to assist with crucial logistics help.
‘Time for work’
Baykan additionally helped incoming and outgoing groups with resorts and vehicles.
Among these he helped gather their “forgotten” cargo or organize flights, resorts and vehicles embody UN groups from Mexico, Indonesia, Singapore, and Pakistan.
“Thank you for your help. Please go (and) meet your family,” Baykan is advised by one other worldwide crew in a WhatsApp message.
“I have slept little these days… this is time for work,” Baykan stated, as he confirmed a brooch gifted to him by a Chinese volunteer crew.
At least 42,310 individuals had been killed by two robust earthquakes that jolted southern Türkiye on Feb. 6. Thousands of others had been injured.
The Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) stated the quakes, centered in Pazarcik and Elbistan districts of Kahramanmaras province, had been adopted by 7,184 aftershocks.
Several nations within the area, together with Syria and Lebanon, additionally felt the tremors that struck in lower than 10 hours.
A complete of 14,740 native and worldwide search and rescue personnel are presently working within the area, it added.
The groups have arrange tent and container cities within the earthquake zone in addition to cell well being clinics to supply psychological help to the victims.
Separately, Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu introduced at a press briefing that a minimum of six individuals had been killed and 562 others wounded with 18 in essential situation after a contemporary earthquake jolted Türkiye’s southernmost province of Hatay late Monday.
Source: www.anews.com.tr
