The first 72 hours following a disaster are critical. The chances of finding survivors in the rubble of buildings diminishes with every passing breath. That is why it is vital that the international community comes together to do whatever it can to assist in southern Turkey and northern Syria following the devastating earthquakes.
To that end, the UK has sent 76 search-and-rescue specialists, equipment and trained dogs to Turkey. But the scale of the disaster has long since emerged following the first earthquake which struck near Gaziantep — a city of more than two million people — at 4.17am local time, while many were asleep in their homes.
