RIYADH: Saudi teams flew out of Riyadh on Thursday morning to take part in relief efforts in Turkiye after quakes hit the country earlier this week, leaving thousands dead and others trapped under the rubble. Specialists from King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, also known as KSrelief, departed King Khalid airport in the Saudi capital to join the international mission to provide assistance to Turkiye after Monday’s 7.8-magnitude earthquake, which struck parts of southeastern Turkiye, northwestern Syria and neighboring areas. KSrelief also launched a fundraising campaign, which has collected close to SR80 million ($21 million) as of Thursday morning. Saudi Red Crescent’s vice president for operational affairs Fahad Al-Hajjaj told Ekhbariya TV that the goal is to assess current needs to have a comprehensive understanding of the situation in affected areas. He also said that the Red Crescent’s team consists of about 20 members including doctors and specialists in different crucial fields. The air bridge consists of 4 flights, the first of which departed at 6 a.m. Saudi time.