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Head of the Emergency Situations Department (DSU) Raed Arafat announced that Romania will send to Turkey a RO-USAR (Romanian Urban Search and Rescue Team) rescue team, made up of 60 persons and 4 search dogs, as well as three aircraft, which will transport seven tones of equipment.
He also mentioned that the team leaving on behalf of Romania is authorized by the United Nations, being trained for international interventions.
"We have offered support through the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism, through which the request was received from the Turkish authorities. We have been accepted. We were the second team to be accepted, after the Neatherlands, in order to send search and rescue teams. At this moment, our team is made up of 60 persons, who include: 52 persons on behalf of the search-rescue Unit of the Inspectorate General for Emergency Situations [IGSU]; medical personnel - two doctors and two nurses from the SMURD Bucharest [Mobile Emergency Service for Resuscitation and Extrication]; two volunteers from the Club of service dogs with two dogs that have participated in other missions, in addition to the two dogs that are also sent by the IGSU. So, we are talking about four search dogs, from the earthquake zones, trained in this regard," Arafat said at the Otopeni Airport.
Arafat mentioned that the Romanian Air Forces within the National Defence Ministry (MApN) put three aircraft at their disposal, which will transport 7 tones of search-rescue equipment, including tents and food, because the teams will have to be completely independent for a period of at least 14 days.
"The first two airplanes (...) will take two and a half hours to the point where they will land, which is the airport in Adana, after which the third plane, with a difference of about two hours, will leave with the rest of the equipment," he said.
Arafat added that today, a video-conference organised by the European Commission was held, that was also attended by other European states which intend to endorse Turkey.
"Almost all Europe is mobilizing and many offers will come and many have already been accepted this morning," Arafat said.
The DSU head mentioned that the support efforts must be coordinated with the authorities in Turkey, through the Department for Emergency Situations.
In respect to Romania's training for such a situation, at internal level, Raed Arafat stated that our country has spend, throughout the past years, "huge amounts" of European funds for equipment.
Nine Erasmus students will be brought to Romania, but our country also accepted to take over other European citizens, to bring them from Turkey, Arafat also mentioned. AGERPRES
