Russian rescuers set off for Kahramanmaras, one of Turkish cities hardest hit by quake - Interfax correspondent

ADANA, Turkey. Feb 7 (Interfax) - Russian rescuers are heading to Kahramanmaras, one of the cities in southeastern Turkey hardest hit by the recent earthquake, an Interfax correspondent reported.

The Russian emergency situations minister's advisor Danila Martynov told reporters earlier that upon reaching the epicenter of the quake, the rescuers would be split into several groups. Rescue operations will be conducted round the clock.

According to earlier reports, three Russian Emergency Situations Ministry planes landed in Adana, Turkey.

On Monday morning, Russian Emergency Situations Ministry Alexander Kurenkov ordered that 100 specialists of the ministry's State Central Airmobile Rescue Team (Tsentrospas) and the Leader Center for High Risk Rescue Operations be dispatched to Turkey.

A powerful earthquake that rocked southern Turkey in the early hours of Monday and subsequent aftershocks caused massive damage in several Turkish provinces and in neighboring Syria.

According to reports, the death toll from the quake stands at around 2,000 people in Turkey and Syria.