German Specialists Head to Pakistan
October 9, 2005A team of 13 rescue experts from North Rhine-Westphalia headed to Pakistan on Sunday. According to a spokesperson from the Duisburg-based group International Search and Rescue Germany (ISAR), the group comprising 12 men and one woman, is expected to help find buried victims of Saturday's massive earthquake in northern Pakistan. In addition to technical equipment, the team is also bringing with it four sniffer dogs to help locate bodies. The team of volunteer specialists had been specifically requested by the Pakistani government on Saturday. The ISAR group is an experienced team drawing from state-wide fire departments and is frequently sent to foreign disaster areas. ISAR was most recently deployed in Thailand following the tsunami on Dec. 24, 2004.