Slovakia Sends to Turkey Ten Firefighters and Five Mountain Rescuers

Bratislava, February 6 (TASR) - Slovakia is sending ten members of the Fire and Rescue Corps (HaZZ) from the Zilina Rescue Brigade and five mountain rescuers along with specially trained dogs to Turkey, spokeswoman for the Interior Ministry Zuzana Eliasova told TASR on Monday, adding that the ministry's units will search, rescue and help people affected by the earthquake in the country. "The units have extensive experience in search and rescue activities. There are also dogs of world-class quality, specially trained, for example, to search for buried persons in ruins," said interim Interior Minister Roman Mikulec (OLaNO), adding that similar crisis situations, although they happen far from Slovakia, test the ability to act and the coordination of the Interior Ministry's units, which increases their expertise and readiness for possible interventions in Slovakia as well. The crisis management section of the Interior Ministry was contacted through the Common Emergency Communication and Information System (CECIS). Slovakia also responded to a request from the European Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) by sending aid. The transportation of emergency services to the Turkish city of Adana is complicated by extremely heavy snowfall in Turkey. The 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit an area in south-eastern Turkey near the border with Syria at 4 a.m. local time on Monday. The epicentre was located north of the Turkish city of Gaziantep. Tremors were felt in the Turkish capital Ankara, Cyprus, the Gaza Strip and Cairo, Egypt. The earthquake has claimed over 2,300 lives. am/mcs