Trained dogs played a crucial role during search and rescue operations in quake-hit Turkiye, said a rescue team member from Uzbekistan, Anadolu News Agency reports.
"The dog almost senses that the person under the debris is alive or dead and reacts accordingly. If it detects a person alive under the debris, it barks louder; if it detects dead bodies, it groans silently. So they were very helpful in finding survivors," Ubeydullah Rozmetov told Anadolu upon his return to Uzbekistan.
Rozmetov, a member of the Uzbek rescue team sent to Turkiye, which he noted was comprised of five specially trained dogs, said this was the first time he worked in the wreckage of destroyed buildings in earthquakes of this magnitude.
"It was a tough situation. It was the first time we faced the consequences of such devastating earthquakes. While we were continuing our rescue efforts, we also experienced an earthquake. After this earthquake we experienced, we understood the situation of the earthquake victims better," Rozmetov said.
"It was terrifying. It was the first time in my life that I experienced such an earthquake," he said while describing a 6.3 magnitude quake that hit the region as he and his team conducted search and rescue operations.
Noting that his team acted very quickly during search and rescue efforts, Rozmetov said they tried to save as many lives as possible and that his dog, Baron, was also constantly searching for people stuck under the debris.
The magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 quakes, centered in Kahramanmaras, rocked 11 provinces, including Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, Elazig and Sanliurfa.
Credits: Burc Eruygur
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