Argentina’s humanitarian mission helps to rescue three quake survivors in Hatay

Two adults and a child were rescued by an Argentine rescue and humanitarian aid group in the city of Hatay, the city most devastated by the powerful earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria earlier this month.

Just four days after the mission landed in the Turkish city of Adana and more than a week after the earthquake in the Middle Eastern countries, 34 troops from Argentina worked with a team of first responders provided by Turkey’s Emergency and Disaster Management Authority to help save the three earthquake victims, Argentina’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The death toll from last week's quakes currently stands at more than 36,200 people dead, according to the latest official figures. There are more than 31,600 dead in Turkey and more than 4,500 dead in Syria. 

Argentine troops in the disaster-stricken countries expressed conflicting feelings of devastation and solace after the rescue. In a statement provided by the mission team, they felt "emotion and joy in the midst of tragedy, which allows us to embrace life, solidarity and hope.”

Responding to the news, Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero lauded the news in a post on Twitter.

"The Argentine humanitarian assistance mission managed to rescue three people alive in Hatay, the Turkish city most devastated by the earthquake. We are thrilled to be able to share this news, nine days after one of the biggest disasters in the history of the region," he wrote.

"The professionalism of our team made up of @CascosBlancos and the USAR Brigade of @PFAOficial, together with the members of @AFADTurkiye, has allowed us, in the midst of this tragedy, to embrace life, solidarity and hope," added the official.

– TIMES/PERFIL