Australian relief workers have examined collapsed buildings and homes turned to rubble as they prepare to relieve tired crews in a Turkish city devastated by a massive earthquake.
The federal government's disaster assistance response team has set up base in Antakya in the Hatay province, awaiting instructions for where to focus its initial earthquake search and rescue efforts.
The 72-strong team, mostly made of specialist NSW firefighters, flew into the country on Sunday with state-of-the-art technical equipment to help find survivors of the 7.8 magnitude quake on February 6.
Footage released by the foreign affairs department on Tuesday (Australian time) showed the crew examining buildings turned to rubble, including those holding smashed cars metres off the ground.
The city was among the hardest hit by the country's worst earthquake in modern history, which has claimed more than 37,000 lives, including three Australians, in southern Turkey and northern Syria.
Some Polish rescuers are set to leave the country on Wednesday as low temperatures dim already slim chances of survival, but the Australian crew hopes to replicate the rescue of two women and two children in Antakya on Monday.
The Australians' telescopic cameras and seismic detection devices can detect faint movements of survivors trapped underground.
"The rescue equipment also includes a vast amount of tools including jackhammers, power drills, metal cutting gear, heavy lifting, concrete cutting chainsaws and roping systems," Fire and Rescue NSW said in a statement on Tuesday.
"The Australian contingent will work 24/7 in 12-hour rotations, relieving exhausted international crews already deployed under United Nations arrangements."
The team landed in the city of Adana on Sunday night before being transferred to Antakya. The search and rescuers walked the streets of the city, viewing the widespread destruction.
"The Australians have transported their own food rations, water purification, first aid kits and tents and have created a totally self-sufficient base camp so as not to impact on local communities and authorities," Fire and Rescue NSW said.
Team leader, Chief Superintendent Darryl Dunbar, is expected to address reporters in Antakya on Tuesday evening.
