KUALA LUMPUR: The elite Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) is expected to enter ground zero of the area hit by the recent devastating earthquake sometime today to help and assist in Search And Rescue (SAR) efforts to find and locate victims in Southern Turkey.
The National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) in a Facebook post today said that there was a delay in the movement of the operation following congestion issues and problems at the Adana Airport which is the gateway to the areas affected by the earthquake.
"The journey by road from Adana to Aziantep will take about three hours.
"May our journey and our duties there be blessed," read the post.
Earlier, Nadma informed that the SMART team had arrived safely at the Istanbul International Airport at around 5.50am local time (10.50am Malaysian time).
"The team was then given a briefing before proceeding to the Adana Airport to continue with their journey to Gaziantep.
"Thank you very much to all involved in making our journey, travel possible," read the post.
Yesterday it was reported that Malaysia had sent a SMART team made up of 75 personnel to assist with Search And Rescue (SAR) efforts to find victims of the earthquake in Southern Turkey which had already claimed the lives of more than 5,000 people including in neighbouring Syria.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Sabah, Sarawak Affairs and Special Functions) Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said that the team was dispatched after getting the blessings and consent from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He said that the SMART team received recognition from the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) in 2016, which allows the team to be deployed and participate in disaster missions overseas," he said in a statement.