By Ali Imran
ISLAMABAD: The Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team of the Pakistan Army returned to the country after winning the hearts of the people of Turkiye on Friday.
The rescue team was recognized by the international and Turkish media for being the first to reach the earthquake victims in Turkiye and the last to leave.
The 35-member team — that reached Turkiye immediately after the earthquake — returned on Friday morning after carrying out successful rescue operations in the quake-hit areas of Turkiye.
The USAR team searched a total of 91 sites while showing the essence of their professional skills in the rescue operation at 39 locations. Some eight people, including small children, were saved alive by day and night efforts. Besides the solo operations, the team also recovered five other alive persons with the help of other rescue teams.
Moreover, the team recovered 138 people who died under the debris and handed them over to the Turkish administration. The team also cleared two sites completely for camping.
The USAR team of the Pakistan Army was also appreciated by international and local news channels of Turkiye.
