Bulgaria sends 20 more rescuers to the earthquake affected areas in Türkiye

Twenty more Bulgarian rescuers are travelling on February 8, in a Spartan plane, to join the teams helping in the search for survivors of the earthquake in Türkiye. Additional equipment - thermal cameras and tents - are also being sent.

"Last night, at around 20.00, we received a request from Türkiye, through the Turkish ambassador, to send more rescue teams. After quick organization and coordination with the Ministry of Interior, the teams were provided. The Air Force provided the transport and today they are transporting about 20 rescuers," caretaker Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said.

They are going to the same place as the teams from the Fire Safety department are. There is a dire need for rescue teams to search for people in the rubble, Bulgaria is ready to send more teams.

"So far we are not waiting for a request, we are acting preventively, we are active on our side and we are talking with the ambassador all the time. As far as I know, about 30 medics will be sent to Adana tomorrow. On Saturday there will be one or two more flights, but we are waiting for requests, the requests of my colleagues have not yet been confirmed," the minister added.

There will be a change of teams on Saturday, then the squad from the Sofia Municipality and some of the rescuers of the Bulgarian Red Cross are expected to return to the country. We are ready to fly to Adana, we are waiting for the requests from the Turkish side, the minister said.

It is expected that all the expenses of the Ministry of Defence will be reimbursed by the European Union, but this is not what is important at the moment, Dimitar Stoyanov added.

Bulgaria was one of the first countries to respond after the devastating earthquakes in Türkiye. Teams and equipment left on the very first day of the tragedy and were immediately involved in clearing and searching for people under the rubble. Volunteers also quickly got organized with donations and trained people. A number of fundraising campaigns were also set up.