BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 1. A total of 236 rescuers of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Azerbaijan who took part in the elimination of the powerful earthquake implications and search and rescue operations returned to Azerbaijan, Deputy Minister of Emergency Situations of Azerbaijan, Lieutenant General Etibar Mirzayev told reporters, Trend reports.
According to him, the same number of rescuers is expected to return tomorrow
"About 330 rescuers of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Azerbaijan will stay in Kahramanmaras. They will stay there in case of unforeseen circumstances," he said.
Rescuers of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Azerbaijan were sent to Türkiye in accordance with the instruction of President Ilham Aliyev.
A 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit southeastern Türkiye on Feb. 6, 2023. The earthquake occurred at a depth of seven kilometers in the Pazarcik region of Kahramanmaras Province. The provinces of Hatay, Gaziantep, Kilis, Osmaniye, Malatya, Adiyaman, Sanliurfa, Diyarbakir, Adana, and Kahramanmaras were subjected to severe destruction. As a result of the Türkiye earthquake, strong tremors were also felt in Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, and Cyprus.
On February 21, 6.4-magnitude and 5.4-magnitude tremors were felt in the Turkish Hatay province, which had already been damaged by the deadly earthquake of Feb. 6. The earthquakes caused heavy destruction and personal injuries.