Turkey earthquake: Firefighter describes pressured rescue effort

Emma Atcherley (middle) with Luke Davison (left) and Robert Buckley (right) in Antakya

A firefighter who rescued people in Turkey says no amount of training could have prepared her for the destruction she witnessed.

The death toll from last week's earthquake is over 41,000 since the 7.8 magnitude quake struck.

Emma Atcherley from Bedwas, Caerphilly was one of five Welsh firefighters in a 77-strong team sent by the UK Foreign Office to Antakya.

"You're their last hope to find their loved ones," she said.

"On all the streets outside the buildings family members are waiting for news so there's an emotional pressure too," she added.

Her team was made up of firefighters from across the UK, as well as medics, a structural engineer and four search dogs who were deployed to the Hatay province.

Emma helped to rescue a man from an apartment in a 4-hour operation

"Our main aim was to look for people who were still alive in the rubble and rescue them," Ms Atcherley told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast on Thursday.

"The devastation out there... is incredible," she said. "There are entire streets with collapsed buildings, others have fallen on their side."

The team carries out regular exercises and works together even though it members are from different fire services to ensure they have the bond needed to work effectively.

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"I don't think any training can prepare you for the emotional toll and the damage that we've seen," she said. "You do feel the pressure to perform."

As the first 72 hours in a rescue phase are crucial, the team needed to react quickly, she said.

Rescue dogs are trained to sniff out people who are still alive and the team also listens and shouts and asks people to shout back or knock on things.

"Once we've discovered that there is somebody in there then it's all hands on deck to find them," Ms Atcherley said.

Finding someone was "incredible" she said. "It's a really good feeling."

"There were so many people out on the ground... all the locals would come and there would be people everywhere just with anticipation and hope of finding somebody alive."

Her team rescued eight people and their dogs found three more people who were taken out of the rubble by other teams.

Buildings have collapsed or fallen on to their side in Antakya

"The people are quite deep in the buildings so it takes quite a long time to do the rescues. You have to figure out where they are and how to safely make a tunnel to them to get them out," Ms Atcherley said.

The team works in shifts.

"Once we've found someone we will continue work until we get them out. If that takes four hours: great.

"If it takes 20 hours then that's what it takes."

"It's a wonderful thing when you see people reunited," Ms Atcherley said.

"We feel immensely proud of everything we've done and the lives that we've changed out there."