Scots firefighters have told of the "biblical scenes" of disaster as they laid bare the devastation caused by the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.
The four men from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service joined the 77-strong UK rescue team dispatched to the two countries after massive tremors left buildings collapsed and tens of thousands of people dead. Watch commander John Aitchison, crew commander Steven Adams and firefighters Tony Armstrong and Keith Gauld have told of the destruction they witnessed during the 10-day search for survivors.
After the hero firefighters safely returned home they told of the moment a man hugged them after they recovered the body of his wife. Mr Aitchison, of Portlethen Training Centre in Aberdeen, said it was "like being in a film set" as the team was confronted with "utter carnage and biblical scenes which we'll never forget".
He added: "Multi-storey buildings looked like they had been picked up and thrown back down on the ground again. Some buildings were upside down, some buildings were on their side.
"People had lost their family. It was like the news reports of war zones where you see women crying, fathers trying to get kids out of rubble. People were crying and trying to get us to help them at every street corner."
The quakes have so far claimed the lives of around 47,000 people. Mr Adams, of MacAlpine Road Fire Station in Dundee, told of the moment they freed the body of a woman.
"We recovered a lady who had sadly died due to her injuries and her husband put his arms around us for reuniting his wife with his family, as he would never have been able to do that himself," the firefighter said.
The UK International Search and Rescue Team helped save 11 lives, including that of a 28-year-old man who was trapped in a six-storey block of flats. When the earthquake struck he had been on the third floor, which collapsed and he fell to the first floor and became stuck in the rubble.
It was feared his legs would need to be amputated to free him, but rescuers managed to get him out without doing so.
Mr Armstrong, who works alongside Mr Gauld at Aberdeen's North Anderson Drive Fire Station, was key in the 20-hour operation to rescue the man and slowly lower him to safety using a rope system.
"When we knew we had successfully freed his leg, it was such a huge sense of euphoria that I'd never felt before," he said.
Mr Gauld added: "There was a point when the sun hit his face and the man was so grateful he was shouting and thanking everyone."
Firefighters volunteer to become part of the UK International Search and Rescue Team and undergo a rigorous recruitment process. Once selected they go through extensive training and must meet fitness requirements.
When in Turkey the team covered a vast area, carrying kit and having to operate on very little sleep. Aftershocks were a constant reminder of the potential dangers they faced, and they occurred while in their tents in freezing conditions.
Mr Aitchison said they team wanted to make a difference, whether that was at home or overseas.
He added: "Do we wish it was more? Of course we do. We always want to push that little bit extra, but we made a massive difference. We reunited 11 people with their families who had given up hope."
He added that it was the most successful UK International Search and Rescue operation for 30 years.
UK development minister Andrew Mitchell said: "The UK Government is proud that brave Scottish firefighters and medics have been at the very heart of our efforts to help the Turkish people in their hour of need."
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