Key Points
- Two Australians remain missing following Monday's earthquake, while a third has been found safe.
- The body of a Sydney man was found in Turkey in the wake of the disaster.
- Australia is sending emergency service personnel to Turkey to assist with search and rescue efforts.
Two Australians remain unaccounted for after a devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria but a third has been found safe.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Friday confirmed one person feared missing had been located, while extending her condolences to the family of an Australian man who died in the disaster.
after members of his family flew to Turkey from Australia to help search for him.
"I extend to all those waiting for news my sympathy and expression of support," she said on Friday.
The foreign affairs department is helping dozens of Australians and their families affected by the earthquake as the number of surpasses 20,000 across Turkey and Syria.
Tributes are flowing in Australia with one iconic landmark lit up in solidarity with Turkey and Syria following news of Mr Pahali's death.
The families of the Australians still missing in the region are holding on to hope their loved ones will emerge from the devastation.
A black ribbon was projected onto the sails of the Sydney Opera House on Thursday night as a symbol of remembrance and mourning.
The magnitude-7.8 quake struck the southern Turkish province of Kahramanmaras on Monday, badly impacting parts of neighbouring Syria as well.
On Friday, more than 70 emergency service personnel will fly out of RAAF Base Richmond to assist with search and rescue efforts.
The contingent includes 52 firefighters trained in urban search and rescue operations and disaster response and five special operations paramedics.
Fire and Rescue NSW Assistant Commissioner David Lewis said the crews were taking everything they needed to be self-sufficient.
That included 22 tonnes of high-tech equipment and critical supplies, from tents and bandages to bolt cutters, chainsaws and drills.
"We are virtually taking a hardware store over with us," Mr Lewis said.
Fire and Rescue NSW personnel, along with Australia Assists personnel and various other emergency service personnel, board a Royal Australian Air Force plane as they prepare for deployment to the earthquake zone in Turkey on Friday. Source: AAP / Bianca De Marchi
"This gear will go wherever our firefighters are deployed ... we have everything they'll need from climbing harnesses and portable radios to triple-A batteries and notepads," Mr Lewis said.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced his state would contribute $1 million to immediate humanitarian aid, while NSW donated $1 million to UNICEF.
"The support of every Victorian is with affected communities and with our state's large and proud Turkish and Syrian communities," Mr Andrews said.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said: "The scale of devastation in Turkey and Syria is difficult to comprehend and it is without hesitation that we have pushed these funds out to support UNICEF in those broken regions."
