Earthquake in Turkey: Austria suspends search and rescue operations in Hatay

It was announced that the Austrian army had suspended search and rescue operations in earthquake zones on the grounds that “clashes between groups have occurred.” After the devastating earthquakes that occurred in Kahramanmaraş, the Austrian army, which conducted search and rescue operations in the earthquake zones, suspended its activity.

A spokesman for the army told AFP that it had suspended search and rescue operations in Turkey due to the “security situation” and “clashes between groups”.

Austrian Lieutenant Colonel Pierre Kugelweis said, “There are increasing conflicts between groups in Turkey. It is said that there were shootings. We would have liked to continue to help, but this is the situation. There was no attack on us, we are all fine.”

Kugelweis said that 82 soldiers from the Disaster Relief Unit of the Austrian Forces were “sheltering in a base camp together with other international organizations and waiting for instructions” in Hatay.

The Austrian aid team had reached Hatay with 45 tons of equipment on Tuesday and managed to rescue nine people from under the rubble.

SOURCE: cumhuriyet.com.tr/dunya/avusturya-hatayda-arama-ve-kurtarma-calismalarini-askiya-aldi-2050717? (translated)