Turkey earthquake: UK firefighters to help with rescue efforts

Firefighters from the UK are heading to Turkey to help with the rescue effort after two deadly earthquakes killed more than 5,000 people.

A 7.8 magnitude quake struck southern Turkey and northern Syria on Monday, followed by a 7.5 magnitude tremor.

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) said a team of 77 search and rescue specialists from 14 fire services would travel to the area on Tuesday.

A group of search and rescue dogs will travel with the firefighters.

Experts from fire services in Cheshire, Essex, Greater Manchester, Hampshire, Kent, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, London, Mid and West Wales, Merseyside, Scotland, South Wales and the West Midlands are on their way to Turkey to assist the international aid effort.

They will use specialist equipment, including seismic listening devices, to detect and locate people, the NFCC said.

The team also has concrete cutting and breaking equipment, propping and support tools and heavy lifting appliances.

Mark Hardingham, chair of the NFCC, said the scenes in Turkey and Syria were "devastating to see" and the team would spend 14 days there.

He said: "The specialist team being deployed will undertake search and rescue work using a range of technical expertise, kit and equipment in a bid to save lives, while supporting other emergency services teams already working tirelessly in the area."

The first quake struck near Gaziantep in the early hours of Monday while people were asleep.

A second then hit at about 13:30 local time (10:30 GMT), which officials said was "not an aftershock".

Thousands of buildings collapsed in both countries and rescuers are working to save people trapped beneath the rubble.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has been contacted for comment.

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