Earthquakes in Turkey and Syria: Miracles in the midst of ruins

The rescue team – sent by the German government to the town of Kirikhan to assist the government and people here – was able to get Ms. Zeynep Kahraman, 40 years old, out of the trapped place, stretch her through a sprawling area. crushed concrete blocks and broken iron bars to reach the ambulance.

Rescue team captain Steven Bayer said: “Now I believe in miracles. You can see people crying and hugging each other. It’s a relief that we were able to rescue this woman. , she is still intact and healthy even in such bad conditions. It is definitely a miracle.”

Kahraman lay still, strapped to a stretcher to immobilize his body. Her arms rest comfortably on her chest. The rescue team gave Kahraman a pair of black glasses to protect his eyes from sudden light after 104 hours of living in the dark.

Kahraman’s family said they had been torn between hope and anxiety for the past two days as the rescue operation began. The rescue team occasionally spoke to Kahraman during this time to make sure she was okay. They tried to provide drinking water to the victim. Even Kahraman’s sister Zuebeyde was given the opportunity to talk to her sister. Ms. Tamara Reither – a member of the rescue team – said: “The woman tried her best and did not give up. We are really grateful that she is finally safe in the ambulance. dear.”

When the 72-hour “golden time” to save people after an earthquake disaster has passed, there are still miracles as in the comments of captain Steven Bayer.

Also on February 10, in the city of Antakya, southeast Turkey, at the 105th hour since the earthquake happened, the rescue force successfully rescued 18-month-old Yusuf Huseyin from the rubble. Twenty minutes later, they continued to rescue more Muhammed Huseyin – a 7-year-old child.

Earlier, a 10-day-old baby and his mother were also rescued after being trapped for 90 hours in Hatay province, which was heavily affected by the earthquake.

The magnitude 7.8 earthquake in southern Turkey and northwestern Syria on the morning of February 6 was recorded as the deadliest earthquake in decades in this area. As of 20:00 on the evening of February 10, a total of 22,368 people died due to this earthquake disaster, of which 18,991 cases were reported in Turkey and 3,377 cases in Syria. Thousands of people have lost their homes and are in dire need of food amid the bitter cold of winter.