Feature: Chinese rescuers battle against odds at epicenter of quake-hit Türkiye

ANTAKYA, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- International rescue missions rushed to Türkiye and Syria after massive earthquakes that struck the region last week left nearly 40,000 dead, tens of thousands injured and an unknown number trapped in the rubble.

There are currently over 9,000 foreign nationals from over 80 countries conducting search and rescue operations and offering humanitarian assistance in the quake-hit zone, according to the Turkish foreign ministry.

Among those who mounted extraordinary recovery efforts is an 82-member Chinese search and rescue team, which has so far pulled out six survivors from the rubble in a week, defying the odds.

"There are some differences between search and rescue at home and abroad," said Zhao Yang, a team member working in the Antakya district of the southern Hatay Province.

"First, we need a comprehensive picture of the situation from local authorities," he said. "Second, we need to work with local emergency response teams and figure out how to overcome the language obstacle."

Finally, "earthquake search and rescue missions require lots of resources, which need to be coordinated with local institutions," he added.

Flying over 8,000 km on an Air China charter flight to southern Türkiye, the team arrived last Wednesday morning along with four rescue dogs and over 20 tons of equipment for rescue, communication and medical purposes, including life detectors that probe the rubble for signs of survivors.

"When search and rescue teams are on a mission in a foreign country, they face difficulties including acclimatizing to challenging local conditions, communicating with local personnel speaking different languages, and securing vehicles and equipment," said Zhao, adding that local volunteers have "provided significant assistance."

Emir Kaan Karaman, a student volunteer living in Istanbul, was assigned by the country's disaster management agency as a translator for the Chinese team.

"They showed the same dedication as one would expect from a Turk, just like someone looking for their own family [beneath the rubble]," Karaman said. "They were giving their all, not just their technical knowledge but from their hearts."