Leader of international rescue teams laments having to choose between people under rubble

Photo: Ruken Tuncel / Antakya

Click to read the report in Turkish / Kurdish

An officer from the Netherlands who led international rescue teams in the earthquake zone has said that "I had to take very difficult decisisons" during the rescue efforts.

Lieutenant Colonel Marco Gaebler was in charge of 91 rescue teams from 77 countries. The USAR rescue team from the Netherlands started working in Hatay on the second day following the deadly February 6 earthquakes and they returned to their country yesterday (February 16).

Interviewed by the BBC Turkish service at Hatay Airport, Gaebler said he had to instruct teams that had been working for more than 4 hours on one wreckage to go to another one in order to be able to save more lives.

He said taking such a decision was very difficult, stating he was just a person who wanted to save as many people as possible.

"Much more to be done"

Police officer Laura Postma who was responsible for the rescue dogs said it was quite weird to leave the earthquake region and to go. She said, "I will be going to a Chinese restaurant tonight. Life is such."

USAR leader Job Kramer said there was much more to be done in Türkiye. He said they were deeply moved since so many people could not be rescued. "We did all we can," he said. (RT/PE/VK)