EMAK leaders gave a press conference about the dramatic hours they have lived since the deadly earthquake in Turkey.

As Deputy Minister Yiannopoulos said, “The Greek Search and Rescue Team was activated by the European Civil Protection Mechanism at the request of the Turkish government and acceptance of our proposal. We were taken on a C-130 military aircraft to the Elliniko area in Adana, and from there by vehicles of the Turkish authorities.”

We were the first focal point for the international force, Mr. Yiannopoulos stressed, adding that they had set up an intelligence gathering office, asking the local population to provide them with vital information about people who are in danger or stuck in the ruins. “We were the first focal point together with the Swiss team,” the first source of information explained to the international focal point, which is created in such cases and directs international assistance.

ETIK EKAV doctor Sokratis Dukas, among other things, noted that the Special Department of Disaster Medicine is a structure that is involved in mass disasters and is staffed by specialized doctors and rescuers. In this particular mission, we support the work of EMAK in the field of health, and our main role is to provide medical support for the injured – the rescued. “This means that rescuers who are injured after being removed must be medically supported, stabilized, sheltered and supported in their basic life functions and transported safely to ambulances to be in a safe medical ranks.”

Piragos Konstantinos Nikas mentioned the business part. According to him, “we worked with the information we received from the locals, while at the same time in constant coordination with the rest of the international teams, where we understood that the working environment was extremely dangerous. Therefore, there was always an assessment of the security risk and the situation in the places where we worked, so that we could achieve the best possible result, that is, evacuation. Obviously, understandably, we went with concrete information and threw our forces on the confirmed alive. So the first days of the rescue passed, and then, when the International Coordination Center started working, information went through it.”

Source: ERT