The devastating earthquake in Türkiye and Syria has prompted an outpouring of aid from nations all over the globe.
Singapore is no exception, as we’ve dispatched our Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) to assist in rescue efforts.
Happily, our officers have already managed to be of great help, rescuing a man from a semi-collapsed building in Türkiye.
Source: SCDF on Facebook
The entire operation took just 30 minutes.
In a Facebook post on Friday (10 Feb) night, the SCDF detailed a rescue operation they took part in at 1am Singapore time on the same day.
Source: Singapore Civil Defence Force on Facebook
At about 8pm Turkish time, the SCDF team, comprising officers from the Operation Lionheart contingent, were in the south-eastern Turkish town of Kahramanmaras.
They were conducting a search-and-rescue operation in Kanlıdere Cd when they received reports of faint calls for help.
The sound was coming from a semi-collapsed two-storey building.
Specifically, from the second floor towards the back of the building.
The red box indicates where the man was trapped. Source: Singapore Civil Defence Force on Facebook
A rescue operation was thus conducted, involving five elite Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (DART) personnel, a paramedic and the Local Emergency Management Agency (LEMA).
First, they ensured the stability of the building.
Then, they accessed the second floor through the back of the building.
Using a fibre-optic scope, the DART officers successfully confirmed that a man was trapped behind a large concrete slab.
Once his presence was ascertained, SCDF and LEMA kept in constant contact with the man across the slab.
Source: Singapore Civil Defence Force on Facebook
LEMA used breaking equipment to make an opening in the slab, finally removing him from the building.
He was attended to by locals.
The entire operation took about 30 minutes, SCDF said.
This was at least the second time the SCDF helped to save a life in the three days since they arrived in Türkiye.
On Wednesday (8 Feb), SCDF officers together with local and Spanish teams managed to bring a boy out from a collapsed building after a three-hour rescue operation.
They did this while braving 2℃ weather that they wouldn’t be used to in Singapore.
The SCDF has now sent over a second team to Türkiye, bringing the Singapore contingent to 68.
The 48-member team plus four dogs will complement the 20 members that were sent in advance.
SCDF updated on Friday (10 Feb) night that the second team had already arrived in the country and was now in the city of Adana.
Source: Singapore Civil Defence Force on Facebook
Kudos to the SCDF for their help so far, and for flying the flag of Singapore overseas. We wish all the officers good luck and safety in Türkiye.
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Featured image adapted from Singapore Civil Defence Force on Facebook.
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