“Thank you bro”
Hangeul written one letter at a time. The person who wrote this letter expressing gratitude is not a Korean, but a Turkic person.
Emre, who had a relationship with the Korea Overseas Emergency Relief Team (KDRT), visited the campsite on the 14th (local time) and left a message of thanks in Korean on the tent.
Mr. Emre repeatedly expressed his gratitude for the rescue activities of the Korean relief team. He said, “It’s great to have come from afar, but it even saved lives. I really wanted to convey my sincerity on behalf of the people of Turkey.”
On this day, the camp of the Korean Emergency Relief Team at Antakia Anadolu High School in Hatay, Turkey, was crowded with people. This is because news spread that the Korean emergency relief team would withdraw to a nearby city on the morning of the 15th after completing rescue operations.
The Korean Emergency Response Team, which started rescue operations on the 9th, rescued a total of 8 survivors and recovered 19 bodies by the morning of the same day. The rescue was successful 72 hours after the earthquake, which is considered the golden time, and impressed the local rescue team and nearby residents.
On the 11th, the Turkiye rescue team, which rescued the two survivors together, came to express their regret of farewell. The Turkiye Rescue Team prayed for the safe return of their colleagues who shared the joys and sorrows at the site of the disaster.
Antakya is one of the poorest places affected by the earthquake. The strong earthquake that hit the city directly resulted in numerous casualties and people displaced. Buildings collapsed and collapsed, turning Antakya into ruins. The situation at the site was the worst as electricity and water were cut off in the cold weather, which dropped close to -10 degrees Celsius.
At least they set up camp in the safest place nearby, but the situation was equally bad. There was no water for the relief team, so they could not wash properly and ate only heat-generating food airlifted from Korea. Because the site itself was dangerous, the crew suffered injuries such as bruises.
The four rescue dogs, who were bandaged and went to rescue activities, were noticed by the local media and looked healthy. The special lifesaving dogs ‘Tobaeki’, ‘Tina’, ‘Tori’, and ‘Haetae’, who were deployed with the relief team, suffered from debris such as steel bars and glass. Tori and Haitai had been wearing bandages until this day.
There is joy in returning to Korea, but the expressions of the rescue workers show sadness. It felt like the sense of calling to save even one more person was holding back the steps to return to the homeland.
When asked about his impressions, one rescue worker calmly said, “It is fortunate that he returned home in good health, but his heart aches when he thinks of the people who are still buried.”
Relief teams leave after donating most of the items airlifted from South Korea. They plan to deliver tents, drinking water, food and medical equipment. To this end, he taught them how to fold and open a tent separately. After the relief team leaves, the camp will be used as a local police headquarters.
Until the last moment of departure, our relief team left messages of support for the people of Turkey.
Rescue workers wrote “Turkey, cheer up,” “Condolences to those affected by the earthquake,” and “I wish you a speedy recovery,” on the donated tent.
Jo In-je, head of the rescue team, wrote, “I pray for a speedy recovery to daily life.”
In 2020, when Corona 19 was spreading, Captain Kim Hye-joo of the Medical Command, who impressed by the appearance of wearing a band on the bridge of the nose, wrote, “Thank you for helping Korea,” and “We will help this time.”
After moving to a safe nearby city and resting, our relief team will return home at 1:00 pm on the 17th.
Reflecting the request of the Turkiye government, the Korean government plans to dispatch two relief teams of about 20 people to aid the victims and carry out reconstruction activities in the future. The 2nd Relief Brigade departs for Turkey on the evening of the 16th by military transport plane.
[안타키아=뉴시스]
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.