HK rescue team leaves for Türkiye
Acting Chief Executive Chan Kwok-ki (right) meets Consul General of Türkiye in Hong Kong Peyami Kalyoncu to express the city’s deepest condolences to the victims of the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria.
Mr Chan (second right) presents the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region regional flag to the search and rescue team’s representative.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government tonight sent a 59-strong search and rescue team to the quake-stricken areas in Türkiye to assist in the search and rescue work.
Acting Chief Executive Chan Kwok-ki, Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung and Director of Fire Services Andy Yeung saw the search and rescue team off at the airport. Director of Health Dr Ronald Lam was also there to show support to the team.
Led by Fire Services Department (FSD) Deputy Chief Fire Officer Yiu Men-yeung, the team comprises 49 members of the FSD's Urban Search & Rescue Team, which includes firemen, ambulancemen and fire services workshops personnel as well as officers from the Security Bureau, the Immigration Department and the Department of Health.
The team is taking eight tonnes of equipment which includes life detectors, masonry cutting machines and the team's daily necessities.
They left on Turkish Airlines flight TK071 and will join local rescue teams to start search and rescue work on arrival.