Hong Kong's Acting Chief Executive Chan Kwok-ki (fifth left) shows support to the members of a search and rescue team that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government sent to the quake-stricken areas in Türkiye on Feb 8, 2023, to assist in the search and rescue work. (PHOTO / INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT, HKSAR)
HONG KONG – The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government on Wednesday sent a search and rescue team to earthquake-hit Türkiye.
The 59-member team comprising officials from various departments departed for Türkiye Wednesday night, according to a government press release.
Led by Yiu Men-yeung, deputy chief fire officer of the Fire Services Department, the team has 49 members from the FSD's Urban Search and Rescue Team including firemen, ambulancemen and fire services workshops personnel, as well as officers from the Security Bureau, the Immigration Department and the Department of Health.
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The HKSAR government will fully support the team and ensure they complete the mission smoothly.
John Lee, Chief Executive, HKSAR
The team is taking approximately eight tonnes of equipment, which includes life detectors and masonry cutting machines as well as the team members' daily necessities, added the news release.
The rescuers will join local rescue teams to start search and rescue work on arrival in Türkiye.
Acting Chief Executive Chan Kwok-ki, Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung, Director of Fire Services Andy Yeung, and Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam saw the search and rescue team off at Hong Kong International Airport.
HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, who is currently visiting in the United Arab Emirates, thanked the rescue team for its professionalism and efforts to help save lives.
On behalf of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government and the people of Hong Kong, acting Chief Executive Chan Kwok-ki signs the condolence book to express the deepest condolences to the victims of the devastating earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, at the Turkish Consulate General in Hong Kong on Feb 8, 2023. (PHOTO / INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT, HKSAR)
"The HKSAR government will fully support the team and ensure they complete the mission smoothly," Lee wrote on his social media account.
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Two major earthquakes of 7.7 and 7.6 magnitudes hit Turkish province of Kahramanmaras on Monday, killing at least 9,000 people and injuring over 52,000 others.
With inputs from Xinhua