Earthquake relief effort

Betty Henderson

AUTHORITIES in Almuñecar thanked fire and rescue services in the town for sending support to Syria and Turkey in the aftermath of the fatal earthquake which struck last week, claiming the lives of thousands of people.

Four members of Almuñecar’s K9 fire search and rescue team, the Arcón Method Canine Rescue Unit (UCRMA) headed to Turkey last week with a central government team.

The mayor of Almuñecar, Juan José Ruiz Joya, thanked the team and their chief, David Cabrera for their unhesitating response to the disaster, during a visit to the fire station on Monday, February 13.

The team left immediately with dogs Maya and Zeus to help conduct search and rescue operations on the ground in Turkey. Since arriving they have faced cold conditions and tragic scenes in the aftermath of the disaster which has claimed more than 35,000 lives.

Joya shared the town’s admiration for the group saying, “Your work is a source of pride not only for the fire service but for all of Almuñecar.” Cabrera described the conditions as “very tough,” thanking his colleagues for their dedication.

The educational visit was part of a link established between the IES Reyes Católicos school in Velez-Malaga and the school in Italy, facilitated by European funding. This year was the second edition of the exchange in which young people enjoyed a range of activities focused on language learning and cultural exploration.

Exchange students stayed with host families during the week and enjoyed a variety of trips including a day out to Granada and visited museums and other attractions in Velez-Malaga itself.

Velez-Malaga teacher, Hilario Bautista said “Judging by the tears on students’ faces on the last day of the exchange, this has been a huge success.” Bautista added that she was looking forward to making the trip to Sicily next month, from Wednesday, March 8.