Chinese team helps rescue survivor in quake-hit Hatay, Türkiye

HATAY, Türkiye, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- Following an hours-long joint effort by Chinese and Turkish rescue teams, a pregnant woman buried under the rubble of a collapsed building has been saved on Thursday, three days after the catastrophic 7.7 magnitude earthquake and its aftershocks struck southern Türkiye and northern Syria.

The woman, who was pulled out to safety in the wee hours of Thursday, was found by Turkish rescuers in the ruins of an eight-story building in Antakya, a city in Hatay Province, one of the country's worst-hit regions, at around 6:00 p.m. local time (1500 GMT) Wednesday, said Zhao Yang, deputy leader of the Chinese rescue team.

Zhao said he and his teammates arrived at the scene as quickly as possible after local rescuers connected with them. Upon arrival, they assessed the situation and then forged a rescue plan with their Turkish partners.

The Chinese team also gave professional advice and provided technical equipment during the rescue operation, he added.

The team landed at the Adana international airport on Wednesday and arrived in Antakya after a five-hour drive.

Working with Chinese embassy staff and local authorities, the Chinese team has set up a camp in the Hatay Stadium; built facilities for communication, medical treatment and accommodation; and sent a 15-person search team to help local rescue operations.

The Turkish side has expressed gratitude for China's assistance and voiced its support for the Chinese team's rescue work.