Collapsed buildings have 'many survivable voids' rescuer says, as hope remains for finding people alive

Hatay’s collapsed buildings still have “many survivable voids”, one member of the UK’s search and rescue team has said, as hope of finding more survivors remains.

The Turkish city was just a few miles from the epicentre of a 7.8 magnitude quake.

David O’Neill, from the UK International Search and Rescue Team, told Sky News teams were continuing to find survivors in the rubble – despite being outside the “critical” 72-hour rescue window.

“It is surprising, but it is encouraging,” said Mr O’Neill.

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“The way these buildings have collapsed they leave many survivable voids within them and given the time that this happened, a lot of people are wrapped up in bedding and such.

“Whilst the people that were recovered yesterday were very dehydrated, slightly hypothermic because of the extremely cold conditions here, they are still alive.”

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Families, he said, “know exactly where their loved ones are situated” and have been able to reach them with food and water, to keep them alive while rescuers work to remove the twisted metal and concrete that surrounds them.

A team of 40 people are currently working to try and rescue two more survivors that have been identified in the centre of the city.

The first three days after an earthquake are considered the most likely to find people alive.

The average survival rate after the first 24 hours drops from 74% to 22% by the third day and 6% by the fifth, according to a natural hazards expert at Nottingham Trent University.

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Who are the British search and rescuers?

The scale of devastation in Turkey and Syria cannot be underestimated.

The World Health Organisation estimates 23 million people have been affected and believe fatalities could rise to more than 20,000.

Parts of the international community have been quick to respond and a plane carrying 77 UK search and rescue specialists, equipment, and four dogs, touched down in Turkey on Tuesday.

The team is made up of firefighters and staff from across England, Scotland, and Wales.

They will use equipment including seismic listening devices, concrete cutting and breaking equipment, and propping and shoring tools.

The team is designed to be entirely self-sufficient from the moment of its arrival, providing its own food, water, shelter, sanitation, communications, and all necessary equipment.

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