PHOTOS: Hungarians saving many lives in Türkiye

A Hungarian search and rescue team in Türkiye has already rescued three people from beneath the rubble of a devastating earthquake that hit the country on Monday, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has said. Meanwhile, rescuers of Hungary’s Baptist Charity have saved a boy in Antakya, Türkiye, near the Syrian border.

Three pulled from beneath Turkiye earthquake rubble by Hungarian team

In an update on Hungary’s rescue efforts in Türkiye, Szijjártó said that all 116 personnel and 19 dogs sent by Hungary will soon be in the country. The Hunor rescue team was the first to arrive on Monday, he said, adding that its members are already assisting the search for survivors. The five trauma surgeons sent by the National Directorate of Disaster Management are also helping out at the region’s university hospital, the minister said.

Staff members of the Pest County Search and Rescue Service are also on the ground in Türkiye, and the ÉLETJEL Fire and Rescue Team will be arriving in the earthquake-hit region in the evening, Szijjártó aid. Also, counter-terrorism force TEK will soon be sending 16 people, including five doctors and a nurse, to the area, he added.

Here are some photos of the Hungarian team’s departure:

And below is a video about their arrival:

Meanwhile, Szijjártó said the foreign ministry was aware of 18 Hungarian citizens who were in the area affected by the earthquake, Szijjártó said. The ministry is in constant contact with them, he said, adding that they were all fine and had not asked for any major assistance. Two Hungarian youth football teams currently in Türkiye are all fine and will be returning to Hungary in the second half of the week, he said. Szijjártó again called on the public to notify the ministry’s consular service of any Hungarian citizen in the region whom they are unable to reach. “Hungary is providing considerable help to Türkiye and the Turkish nation in this difficult time,” Szijjártó said.