Ministry of Public Security rescuers perform their mission in Adiyaman, Turkey on February 13, 2023. (Source: Ministry of Public Security)

The Vietnamese team used radar devices, excavators and specialized metal cutting tools in the rescue mission.       

“We are grateful for your assistance. You have helped save lives and bring bodies out of the rubble,” said a local resident.  

Earlier, Vietnamese rescuers saved a 14 year-old teenager and pulled two bodies from the ruins in Adiyaman. The Ministry of Public Security’s team also presented two tonnes of medical equipment to Turkey. A 76-member team from Vietnam’s Defense Ministry will soon join rescue efforts in the country.

The combined death toll from the devastating earthquake that rocked Turkey and neighboring Syria more than a week ago has now exceeded 37,000. Economic losses are estimated at 84 billion USD.

More than 40,000 rescue workers including 8,300 foreigners are racing against time to save the victims. On Tuesday, rescuers saved 5 people trapped in the rubble.

Meanwhile, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has agreed to allow UN aid deliveries to opposition-held northwest Syria through two border crossings from Turkey for three months, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday.