Turkey
is geographically situated on a very active seismic zone because of the existence of 3 tectonic plates which contribute to
the dense seismic activity of this area. Then, it is not
surprising to see earthquakes
burst one after the other in this part of
the world: 1990, ERZINCAN, in August 1999, IZMIT and in
November 1999 DUZCE.
Irreparably, even before the first
reports came out, the images showed the dimension of the
disaster.
In this emergency situation a rescue team
is quickly constituted:
- 4 fire fighters, 3 of them assisted
by rescue dogs
- first
aid medical bags
- 1
vibrascope
- 1 vibraphone
- rescue kits
Many
international rescue teams were already at work, but it did not
shake our motivation to intervene and bring relief to the
victims. When we arrived at the airport, we were hosted by a man
who live in ISTANBUL, married to a French and who answered the
authorities' call for assistance. His presence was precious and
of remarkable efficiency.
When we started, the situation
was desastrous: seven floor buildings collapsed.
The earthquake hit a wide area of several kilometres. Dogs were
in search position immediately after local residents explained
the space configuration before the disaster. Unfortunately, all
they could smell in the rubble were corpses.
