Yichang rescuers to arrive in Turkey

By Tan Maolin, Yichang International Communication Studio
 

Two Yichang rescuers, along with a Chinese earthquake rescue team, are on their way to Turkey after massive earthquakes struck Turkey and Syria Monday. Nearly 8,000 people have been killed and countless others remain missing, according to the latest reports. 

Dispatched by China’s Ministry of Emergency Management, 82 rescuers of China’s first rescue team just arrived in Turkey today. Rescue teams from several provinces are also on the way, according to CCTV News.
 

On Feb. 6, The Blue Sky Rescue Team assembled seven people in Hubei province for the Turkey rescue operation. Two of them are from Yichang. They are scheduled to arrive in Istanbul at 1:20 p.m. local time on Feb. 9.
 

Han Yongqiang, 34, and Yang Hongyan, 45, are both private business owners in Yichang. Han is a retired soldier who took part in the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake relief effort in China, said Jiang Xing, leader of Yichang Blue Sky rescue team.

Two rescuers from Yichang - Han Yongqiang and Yang Hongyan.

Founded in 2007, Blue Sky Rescue (BSR) is a Chinese non-governmental professional emergency rescue organization. It has over 30,000 volunteers and teams in 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions across the country.