Portugal willing to send rescue mission to Turkey

Portugal is ready and willing to send a rescue team to take part in the European mission to support Turkey through the aftermath of today’s devastating earthquakes. Well over 1,000 people appear to have died in the disaster. Aftershocks are still being felt in neighbouring countries, some of them described as “huge”. Minister for interior administration José Luís Carneiro tells reporters: “We have already transmitted our availability to the European Union to take part in rescue support and in the form of emergency medicine”. Civil Protection authorities are discussing logistics for mobilising national support with European entities. The first earthquake hit around 4am local time, measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale, a second after-shock has since been felt, measuring 7.5.