A Chinese rescue team departs from Beijing for Turkey on a chartered plane on Feb.7, 2023 to join earthquake relief efforts in the country. Photo: Xinhua

Chinese rescue teams have chartered domestic airlines to fly to earthquake-stricken Turkey to carry out rescue missions.

A rescue team of 127 members with 3,900 kilograms of aid took a chartered flight organized by China Southern Airlines at 8 pm on Wednesday, heading from Wuhan Tianhe International Airport to Istanbul, Turkey to assist the emergency rescue operation after a 7.8-magnitude quake hit the region.

The team is under Blue Sky Rescue, the leading non-government organization for emergency rescue operation, which has participated in many major rescue operations including the Wenchuan earthquake in Southwest China's Sichuan Province in 2008 and the earthquake in Nepal in 2015.

This came just one day after a Chinese rescue team of 82 people boarded an Air China chartered plane on Tuesday night to fly to Turkey, Air China revealed through its social media accounts.

The response team was largely sourced from the Emergency General Hospital, the National Earthquake Response Support Service and other domestic institutions.

Many Chinese netizens commented on Air China's Sina Weibo account wishing the team a safe return.

According to a CCTV report, rescuers arrived in Turkey at around 3:30 am Wednesday local time and will soon start the rescue work.

The report also confirmed that they have carried 20 tons of rescue equipment and resources, as well as four rescue dogs.

Meanwhile, a civilian rescue team with the codename Ramunion has also dispatched its first international rescue team to head for Turkey to carry out rescue work.

The team flew on Xiamen Airlines MF8655 flight to take off from East China's Hangzhou and fly to Hong Kong, where they would take another flight to Turkey, according to a statement shared by Xiamen Airlines with the Global Times.

The statement also noted that the Hong Kong business department of Xiamen Airlines contacted the rescue team in advance and made every effort to provide necessary assistance during the subsequent flight arrival and transfer process.

Earlier on Tuesday, China announced of 40 million yuan ($5.9 million) of emergency assistance to Turkey after an initial 7.8-magnitude earthquake, a 7.5-magnitude tremor and a string of powerful aftershocks jolted parts of Turkey and Syria on Monday and Tuesday.

The death toll in Turkey and Syria has risen to more than 7,900 in the earthquakes, according to a Washington Post report at around 10:00 am Wednesday.

Global Times