Zhang Dingge, a rescuer from Taizhou, East China's Zhejiang province, will take part in the relief efforts in Turkey, which suffered a magnitude 7.8 earthquake on Feb 6.

The earthquake, which also affected neighboring Syria, is Turkey's deadliest since 1999. As of Feb 9, over 15,000 people from both countries have been reported dead.

Zhang, who is part of a 50-member rescue team, will fly to Turkey on the afternoon of Feb 11 and arrive in the country after an 11-hour flight.

Zhang signed up to be a part of the second rescue group to Turkey on Feb 9. The first group comprising over 100 Blue Sky Rescue Team member arrived at Istanbul Airport on Feb 9, 1:00 am local time, before rushing to Malatya, one of the areas most affected by the earthquake.

Apart from search and rescue work, the 29-year-old will operate drones to carry out post-earthquake debris patrol in cooperation with the local government.

A native of Yongcheng in Henan province, Zhang came to Taizhou around 2014 before joining the Wenling Blue Sky Rescue Team in early 2016. He has participated in multiple relief missions and served as an instructor in the Wenling Blue Sky Rescue Team.