Three survivors are pulled from the rubble in Turkey 11 days after the earthquake

February 17, 2023 11:01 PM | Updated February 18, 2023 01:19 PM IST – Antakya / Kahramanmursa, Turkey

Mustafa Avcı, 33, who was trapped under the rubble for 261 hours, meets his daughter Almel for the first time and reunites with his wife Bilge, after the deadly earthquake, at a hospital in Mersin, Turkey on February 17, 2023. Almel was born on the day of the earthquake. | Image source: Reuters

Rescue teams pulled three people alive from under collapsed buildings in Turkey on February 17, 11 days after an earthquake killed more than 43,000 people, displaced millions and sparked a massive relief effort.

Mosques around the world held funeral prayers in absentia for the dead in Turkey and Syria, many of whom were unable to receive full burial rites due to the severity of the disaster.

While many international rescue teams left the vast quake zone, survivors were still emerging from under the many flattened homes, defying all odds.

A man was rescued in the southern province of Hatay, 278 hours after the 7.8-magnitude quake struck at midnight on February 6, the Anadolu news agency said.

Earlier, Osman Halibiye, 14, and Mustafa Avcı, 34, were rescued in the historic city of Antakya in Turkey, known in ancient times as Antakya. When Avci was taken away, he was placed on a video call with his parents who showed him his newborn baby.

His father said, “I have completely lost all hope. This is a real miracle. They brought my son back to me. I saw the wreckage and I thought no one alive could be rescued from there.”

Also read | Explanation: Why is it difficult to send aid to the earthquake-affected areas in northwest Syria?

An exhausted Afsi was later reunited with his wife Bilge and daughter Elmel in a hospital in Mersin.

Experts say most rescues happen within 24 hours after an earthquake. However, a teenage girl was rescued 15 days after a devastating earthquake hit Haiti in 2010, giving hope that more people could be found.

Turkey’s death toll now stands at 38,044, making it the worst disaster in modern Turkish history. However, this number is expected to rise given that some 264,000 apartments were lost in the earthquake and many people are still unaccounted for.

In neighboring Syria, already riven by more than a decade of civil war, the authorities have reported more than 5,800 deaths. The number of victims has not changed for days.

The bulk of Syria’s deaths occurred in the northwest, an area controlled by militants at war with President Bashar al-Assad – a conflict that has complicated efforts to help those affected by the quake.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported Friday that the two sides clashed overnight for the first time since the disaster struck, as government forces shelled the outskirts of Atarib, the rebel-held city hit hard by the quake.

Reuters could not independently verify the news.

Funeral prayer

Neither Turkey nor Syria said how many people were still missing after the quake.

For families still waiting for their relatives back in Turkey, there is growing anger over what they see as corrupt building practices and deeply flawed urban development that has resulted in the disintegration of thousands of homes and businesses.

One such building was the Ronesans Rezidans (Renaissance residence), which went downhill in Antakya, killing hundreds.

“It was said to be safe from the earthquake, but you can see the result,” said Hamza al-Baslan, 47, whose brother lived in the apartment complex. “It’s in a terrible state. There’s no proper cement or iron. It’s a real hell.”

Also read | Body of Ghanaian footballer Atsu found under rubble in Turkey earthquake: Factor

Missing Ghanaian footballer Christian Atsu, who played for local team Hattiesspor, is also believed to have lived in the complex. On Friday, club director Fatih Elik revealed that he was scheduled to leave Turkey hours before the earthquake struck, but decided to stay after scoring an important goal for his team.

“That was his destiny. He had a ticket to go but because he signed up, he changed his mind about leaving. He was caught in an earthquake on his happiest day. This is quite literally a tragedy.”

Turkey promised to investigate anyone suspected of responsibility for the building collapse and ordered the detention of more than 100 suspects, including developers.

In Kahramanmaras, the city in southeastern Turkey that was closest to the epicenter, about 1,000 people gathered after midday outside Erzurumluoglu’s central mosque, which is threatening to collapse, to join absentee prayers.

People gather for a funeral at a large cemetery, following the deadly earthquake outside Kahramanmaras, Turkey on February 17, 2023. | Image source: Reuters

“This is something every Muslim needs to do,” said Ahmet Akburak, an engineer who lost seven relatives in the quake. “We’re glad we were able to get their bodies out. But many people have become one with the wreckage.”

Aid organizations say survivors will need help for months to come, with much critical infrastructure destroyed.

The United Nations on Thursday appealed for more than $1 billion for Turkey’s relief operation, just two days after launching a $400 million appeal for Syrians.

Thousands of Syrians who sought refuge in Turkey from their country’s civil war have returned home to the war zone after the earthquake – at least for the time being.

Taking advantage of an offer from the Turkish authorities to spend up to six months in rebel-held northwest Syria without losing the opportunity to return to Turkey, many want to check on their relatives who also suffered from the earthquake.

“I haven’t seen my family in four years,” Youssef Karamo said after crossing the border into Syria. “The situation in Turkey is miserable in the areas hit by the earthquake,” he added.

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