Over 20,000 people have died in the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that rocked Syria and Turkey. Rescue attempts are continuing days later, with worldwide support. 

The earthquake occurred on February 6, 2023 and is the deadliest earthquake in the last two decades. The death toll continues to climb as rescuers struggle to reach people buried beneath crumbled buildings in the harsh winter conditions. 

Over 80,000 people have reported non-fatal injuries, and more than 373,000 have been displaced. 

With the support of volunteers across the globe, successful rescues are still being made. Approximately 80 members of a Fairfax County Search and Rescue force are currently in Turkey, working with the local government to help. 

The operations chief of this organization, Daniel Gajewski, reported that the earthquake left the most devastation he had ever seen in his career. He stated that it was “eye opening.”

Apart from providing more hands, the department is able to provide more expertise as it is composed of firefighters, paramedics, canine handlers, structural engineers and more. Each member is required to attend monthly training, as well as 72 hours of annual in the field training and additional classroom time. 

The team usually only stays on international missions for 3 weeks, but stated that they’d stay longer if necessary. Members acknowledge that participating comes at a personal cost, but agree that their service is worth the time and effort.