The MAS-01 SMART team recently found seven bodies of earthquake victims in a seven-storey hotel and residential building that had completely collapsed in Nurdagi in Turkiye.
A woman and four men, believed to be members of the same family, were discovered at 9:30 am, or 2:30 pm Malaysian time, while the sixth body was a woman, discovered at 2:10 pm local time, or 7:10 pm Malaysian time.
Photo via Malay Mail
The Malaysian search and rescue (SAR) team MAS-01 SMART was deployed to Turkiye last Monday (6 February).
And then on Wednesday (8 February), the Malaysian government dispatched another SAR team consisting of 20 Special Malaysia Search and Rescue Team (SMART) members, 30 Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) members and 20 Civil Defence Force (APM) officers.
Nurdagi is one of the places in Gaziantep that was severely impacted by the massive earthquake that struck northern Turkiye last week.
The Malaysian team, who arrived on Friday at 3 pm local time, or 8 am Malaysian time, discovered that the earthquake had entirely destroyed a residential building and a hotel that was seven-storey high, killing more than 100 people.
The strong 7.8 earthquake hit southern Turkiye and Syria on Monday and has since claimed thousands of lives. Search and rescue (SAR) operations are still ongoing.
Our condolences go out to those who lost their loved ones in this terrible tragedy!
