British rescuers haul two people out from rubble six days after deadly earthquake struck Turkey

A woman in her 50s and a 41-year-old man were pulled out from underneath rubble in Hatay province, following a 20-hour rescue operation

British rescuers have hauled two people out from under rubble who had managed to survive six days since the deadly quake buried them under an apartment building.

A woman in her 50s and a 41-year-old man were rescued in Hatay province on Saturday, following a painstaking 20-hour operation.

Rescuers received a huge round of applause as they pulled the survivors out to safety.

Head of the rescue team, James Chaston said: “[It's] Really, really emotional.

"We feel so honoured to be able to come over and help you.

"We wish there was more of us. We wish we could get quicker.

"Hopefully we’ve done the best we can.”

The team were transported to Turkey on a flight from Birmingham Airport on Tuesday morning with 70 firefighters from across the UK onboard.

They carried specialist sniffer dogs and specialist equipment including seismic listening devices, concrete cutting and breaking equipment and propping and shoring tools.

The British team has conducted work in 50 collapsed buildings and saved eight people so far.Martin Forai, who also worked on the rescue team said: “We’ve been here for quite a few days now, working really hard, and the teams on the ground are really working hard to help everybody.

"We rescued a number of people through the week.

"I think the most important rescues we did was a family of a young child, a mother and a father, which was really really great for the team.”

Almost a week after the severe seismic even the death toll is still rising, at least 25,000 people across Turkey and Syria have died in the aftermath.

Thousands of homes and buildings have been decimated and rubble is strewn across the region.

Those who have made it out alive face fresh struggles, as they have been left exposed to the elements, with temperatures plummeting as low at -10 degrees.

The World Health Organisation has warned the icy cold is leaving survivors in a 'secondary disaster which may cause harm to more people than the initial disaster'.

Hundreds of charities are racing to help the survivors and rescue those still trapped, with many desperately asking for donations to help bolster their efforts.

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