Rescuers carry 20-year-old survivor Ibrahim Kantrji, in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake, in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, Feb. 10, 2023. (REUTERS FILE PHOTO)
MANILA, Philippines — The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) on Monday said the Philippine inter-agency humanitarian contingent deployed to Turkey will return home this week after wrapping its mission in the quake-stricken country.
Assistant Secretary Raffy Alejandro, spokesperson for the OCD, said the 85-member contingent will wrap up its tasks on Feb. 24 and will be back in the Philippines by March 1.
As of Monday, Alejandro said the contingent’s medical team had assisted 603 patients while its urban search-and-rescue (Usar) team had combed through 38 damaged or collapsed buildings, retrieving four bodies.
The Usar team is awaiting instructions from local authorities if other areas would be searched, he added. The contingent left for Turkey on Feb. 8.