A 21-man urban search and rescue (USAR) team from the 525th Engineer Combat Battalion, 51st Engineer Brigade joined the Philippine government’s multi-agency earthquake response team in a send-off ceremony at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City on February 7, 2023.
The personnel are highly trained in search and rescue operations and have the necessary equipment for the special task, according to Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Andres C. Centino. Their deployment came after the Turkish government appealed for assistance from the international community following the destructive 7.8-magnitude tremor that struck the country on February 6, 2023.
The 85-man Philippine earthquake response team is also composed of two personnel from the Office of the Civil Defense, 12 from the Philippine Air Force’s 505th Search and Rescue Group, 10 from the Metro Manila Development Authority, nine from the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, and 31 Emergency Medical Technicians from the Department of Health.
The team will be deployed to Türkiye for at least two weeks and is set to depart today, February 8, via Turkish Airlines.
Photos from the Armed Forces of the Philippines