A plane full of Australian emergency service workers flew to Türkiye this morning to search for survivors buried in rubble after the catastrophic earthquake there.
More than 19,000 people have died since a magnitude-7.8 tremor struck the region on Monday.
This includes Sydney man Can Pahali who was visiting family at the time.
A task force of 72 people, most of whom are NSW firefighters trained in search and rescue operations, departed on a military aircraft from Sydney this morning.
Fire and Rescue NSW Chief Superintendent Graham Kingsland, who is leading the task force, said the crew was anxious to help.
"There's a feeling of wanting to get over there and do some good for the people of Türkiye," Mr Kingsland said.
"There's still possibilities of rescue so while there is that hope, that's what we'll be working towards."
He said the plane was packed overnight with equipment such as cameras and seismic-listening devices, which would aid Turkish crews grappling with freezing conditions and limited supplies.
Seven NSW Ambulance paramedics and doctors who have specialist training for disasters are also part of the team.
NSW Ambulance team leader Murray Traynor said they were prepared for the challenge.
"There's always a bit of anxiety about what you could expect," Ms Traynor said.
"We're all there with a common goal … to actually try and find people that are alive and to save them and to rescue them and make sure they get their medical care."
The crew members will rotate shifts so they can operate 24 hours a day, and they are expected to stay on the ground for at least two weeks.
