An aerial view shows collapsed buildings, in the aftermath of the deadly earthquake, in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, February 9, 2023. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov
MANILA, Philippines — Davao City and Pasig City’s local governments and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) expressed willingness to deploy their rescue teams to earthquake-hit Turkey, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said on Friday.
“We have several LGUs who volunteered, expressing their willingness to join. We have the City of Davao, we have Pasig City, and the BARRM government,” OCD spokesperson Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV said in a press conference in Quezon City.
According to Alejandro, Davao City, and Pasig City are willing to deploy 15 and 14 man-team, respectively, while the BARMM government has yet to give any numbers.
The contingent from these local governments could be deployed once the Philippine government decides to put up another backup team to be sent to the earthquake-hit country.
Currently, the 82-man contingent team from the Philippines is now conducting search and rescue operations in Adiyaman, Turkey.
According to the Agence France-Presse’s report, the death toll from the massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Turkey and Syria now breached the 21,000 mark.
Officials and medics said 17,674 people had died in Turkey and 3,377 in Syria from Monday’s tremor, bringing the confirmed total to 21,051, the report added.
The Philippine Embassy in Ankara said that two Filipinos have also died because of the tectonic tremor.