The Portuguese team in Antakya has still not found anyone alive in one of the cities hardest hit by the quake, but hope will “never die” until demobilization, the mission commander guarantees.
“Unfortunately, we still have not found anyone alive. We have already seen a lot of dead people, but our goal is to find someone alive and save them,” said José Guilherme, commander of the Portuguese field operation, to Lusa.
There are 52 civil protection, GNR and emergency medical operators on site, including six dogs divided into two teams that work 12 hours a day, working 24 hours a day in support of search and rescue efforts starting Wednesday. Antakya, southeastern Turkey.
Days go by and “the window of time is getting closer and closer, but the hope in these teams will never die,” assures José Guilherme.
“Until the moment of demobilization, we will always believe that we can find someone alive,” he stressed, however, stressing that, given the past days, finding a person alive among the rubble would be a “miracle.”
Filipe Rocha, leader of the team that worked in central Antakya this morning, admits the work is “disappointing” but has the same hopes as his commander.
“We are doing our best, and although it has been six days, we are confident that we will save someone else,” he stressed.
On the ground, operators use drones to map the affected area and signal critical buildings, while other specialists search the ruins for possible survivors, using dogs trained to signal if they detect signs of life among the rubble.
Despite Commander José Guilherme’s admission that the work is “inglorious”, it is “a very honorable job”.
“These teams have been committed to what their skills, valency and professionalism are,” he stressed.
For José Guilherme, the work of the Portuguese operatives was marked by “commitment, accessibility and dedication”.
“The Portuguese people should be proud of these professionals,” the commander added.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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