By Burc Eruygur
ISTANBUL (AA) – Russia said it has teams of 100 search and rescue personnel on standby to be sent to Türkiye with two Il-76 planes to help out in relief efforts after Monday morning’s devastating earthquake.
“Russia is always ready to help a friendly state whose citizens find themselves in a difficult situation,” Emergency Situations Minister Alexander Kurenkov said in a statement.
“Our rescuers have all the necessary knowledge and equipment,” he added.
At least 912 people died and 5,385 more have been injured after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck at 4.17 a.m. (0117GMT), centered in the Pazarcik district of Türkiye’s southern province of Kahramanmaras, according to latest official figures.
There were 78 aftershocks after the earthquake, and adjacent provinces of Gaziantep, Sanliurfa, Diyarbakir, Adana, Adiyaman, Malatya, Osmaniye, Hatay, and Kilis provinces were also heavily affected.