Polish firefighters will remain in Turkey until February 16, as there is still a chance of rescuing earthquake survivors, the head of the Polish fire service said on Friday.
State Fire Service/Twitter

Twelve people have been pulled alive from ruined buildings in Turkey by a Polish search and rescue team, a spokesman for Poland’s State Fire Service has said.

“After 21 hours of work in extreme conditions, Polish and Bulgarian rescuers have pulled out a 12th person from the rubble of a building in Besni!!” Karol Kierzkowski wrote on Twitter on Friday night.

“Huge joy, respect and pride,” Kierzkowski added.

The 76-strong team arrived in Turkey on Tuesday morning to help in rescue and relief operations after the south-east of the country and northern Syria were hit by two major earthquakes on Monday.

Polish firefighters will remain in Turkey until February 16, as there is still a chance of rescuing earthquake survivors, the head of the Polish fire service said on Friday.

The HUSAR team had originally planned to stay in Turkey until Monday, February 13. However, the commander of Poland’s national fire service, Brigadier General Andrzej Bartkowiak, said the team would remain there until at least Thursday, February 16.

The death toll in Turkey from the devastating earthquakes has risen to 20,665. At least 2,166 people were killed in northwest Syria.