Turkiye earthquake: NDRF canines beat machines in detecting survivors

Six canines of the NDRF deployed in earthquake-hit Turkiye have proved to be "very very effective" in rescuing survivors from under the debris even as teams from other countries have also utilised their services, officials said on Tuesday.

The federal contingency force of India is also in the process of shifting its two teams from Gaziantep to Hatay on the Mediterranean coast of the country as the possibility of finding survivors in the former city is "almost negligible now". The third NDRF team is already in Hatay.

The force has rescued two young girls - six years and eight years old, apart from 63 bodies since they began their search and rescue (SAR) operation in that country on February 7 after the Union government sent three of its teams to assist international rescue operations in Turkiye.

The massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Turkiye and neighbouring Syria on February 6 has claimed more than 35,000 lives and rescuers fear the toll may climb further even as hope for lives is fading rapidly, notwithstanding miracles.

"Our canine rescuers have proved to be very very effective during the Turkiye operation. There are three ways to rescue someone from a collapsed structure-- physical or through human means, technical search through equipment and canines."

"We found that technical equipment, heavy machinery, life detectors and seismic sensors have not been that good in finding life during this situation where multiple buildings have been flattened due to the quake and there is chaos all around," NDRF commanding officer Gurminder Singh told PTI over phone from Nurdagi in Gaziantep province of Turkiye.

Our dogs are quite easy to handle and they are not aggressive. They have proven their training during this operation and helped our rescue teams in looking for specific areas where lives can be found, he said.

Another senior officer said the NDRF dogs and their handlers were also provided to the Turkiye fire department rescue team who, they are told, retrieved "one or two live victims" with the help of NDRF dogs.

The force has taken six Labradors Romeo, Julie, Rambo, Honey, Bob and Roxy for assisting the rescuers while they search for lives.

Officials said while Romeo and Julie were instrumental in sensing and alerting the NDRF men in rescuing the six-year-old girl in Gaziantep last week, the other dogs have been "very vital" during the crucial hours just after the quake when rescuers were frantically looking for people who were alive under debris.

Commandant Singh said the five women personnel of the force, who are on their first international rescue operation, are working shoulder-to-shoulder with their male counterparts and have assisted affected women in few places.

An NDRF officer said the teams of all countries are getting good support from the local authorities and people of Turkiye.

"Many local volunteer groups are providing us cakes, juices, coffee and biscuits that helps to survive in the biting cold if minus 4 or 5 degrees," the officer said.

The force has carried along 11 vehicles, 20,000 litres of diesel, ready to eat food like 'ladoos', 'pinni', 'matthi', sleeping bags, wood, tents and other logistical items so that they can survive on their own for almost a fortnight.

Makeshift toilets have been dug by the NDRF rescuers. So far, no personnel has reported sick, an officer based in Delhi said.

All the three teams of the NDRF may return by February 16-17 as the task of finding live victims is almost completed. However, a final decision will be taken by Turkish authorities and informed to the Indian government through diplomatic channels, the officer said.