Search for missing Aussies as earthquake tributes flow
On of Australia’s most iconic landmarks, the Sydney Opera House, has been lit up in solidarity with Turkey and Syria following news an Australian man was among those killed in a devastating earthquake.
Tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in a catastrophic earthquake huddled around campfires in the bitter cold and clamored for food and water Thursday, three days after the temblor hit Turkey and Syria. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
The families of three Australians still missing in the region are holding on to hope their loved ones will emerge from the devastation.
A black ribbon was projected onto the sails of the Opera House on Thursday night as a symbol of remembrance and mourning for the more than 20,000 victims.
The magnitude 7.8 quake struck the southern Turkish province of Kahramanmaras on Monday, badly impacting parts of neighbouring Syria as well.
Can Pahali from Sydney was confirmed as the first Australian to have died in the disaster after his body was recovered from rubble in Turkey.
Australia will send more than condolences, with 72 NSW emergency service personnel flying out of RAAF Base Richmond on Friday to assist with search and rescue efforts.
The contingent includes 52 firefighters specially trained in urban search and rescue operations and disaster response and five special operations paramedics.
Fire and Rescue NSW Assistant Commissioner David Lewis said the crews were taking everything they needed to be self-sufficient.
This includes 22 tonnes of high-tech equipment and critical supplies, from tents and bandages to bolt cutters, chainsaws and drills.
“We are virtually taking a hardware store over with us,” Lewis said.
Technical equipment includes search cameras, or “snake cams”, to help find survivors in the rubble; laser building monitoring systems to alert rescue workers when rubble moves; and seismic listening devices, which can detect further tremors and any survivors tapping for help.
“This gear will go wherever our firefighters are deployed … we have everything they’ll need from climbing harnesses and portable radios to triple-A batteries and notepads,” Lewis said.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced his state would contribute $1 million to immediate humanitarian aid while NSW donated $1 million to UNICEF.
“The support of every Victorian is with affected communities and with our state’s large and proud Turkish and Syrian communities,” Andrews said.
“The scale of devastation in Turkey and Syria is difficult to comprehend and it is without hesitation that we have pushed these funds out to support UNICEF in those broken regions,” NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is assisting about 40 Australians and their families who were in the earthquake area at the time of the disaster.
