United Nations drill for earthquake preparedness began on Monday in the Turkish capital Ankara. Search and rescue crews from 23 countries joined the three-day exercise to polish their skills. Among them were crews from Russia and Ukraine, currently on both sides of hostilities and both working to save potential victims of an ongoing conflict.
Under the coordination of Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), hundreds of participants simulated the response to an earthquake of magnitude 7.2 in the capital’s Kalecik district, among the “ruins” of buildings that collapsed in a simulated earthquake. The earthquake’s date was set as Oct. 8 under the scenario to give an extra challenge for crews combing the debris for survivors. Crews played out a scenario where Ankara, as well as the nearby provinces Kırşehir, Kırıkkale, Çankırı and Çorum, are affected and international support is sought by Turkish authorities.
Accompanied by search dogs sniffing the debris for survivors and high-technology equipment, crews examined slightly damaged and heavily damaged structures during the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) exercise. Some crew members shouted “can you hear me” into the layers of the debris before they joined others in “listening” to the debris with sonar and seismic equipment. They scaled deep wells resembling the interior of collapsed buildings and carefully walked over the wreckage of multistory buildings razed to the ground. Cutting through iron and concrete, they worked to reach the “survivors” in the scenario.
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