As 10 days passed after the earthquake, experienced rescue team members pulled out and search and rescue locations kept changed. Trying our best not to miss out the golden time, we have swiftly communicated with the UN Office for the Coordination of Field Operations, the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group, and Turkiye Disaster Management Presidency, strongly urging to allow us to stay on site and dispatch us to residential areas, according to the advice of Korean rescue teams who had been there before us.
As it was just like our destiny, we could manage to collaborate with Karaman Team under Turkiye Disaster Management Presidency. Karaman Team is working at the Karaman region under Turkiye Disaster Management Presidency, which is similar to the fire department of Gyoenggi Province or Gangwon Province in Korea.
It is impossible to collaborate without trust in rescue sites where much risk resides. Karaman Team said they could trust us after seeing us being sincere and well-organized in rescuing victims, and being respectful to local culture. Serife, the leader of Karaman Team, even gave us a stove, asking if it was not cold at the base camp. We carefully collected bodies and returned them to their families, and found one more victim in another room and sent him to his family too.
As we removed the remains of a building with heavy equipment, we found victims in dust, but unfortunately, they already passed away. We carefully collected the bodies and returned them to their families.
Although the sun was going down, we couldn’t leave the site. Behind us, we could feel the gazes of people who were anxiously waiting for their families to be rescued.Only when the time came when the entire rescue team meeting was about to start, we could leave the site and head to the operation center, after getting a promise from Karaman Team that they will call us if there’s any sign for rescue.
