Kahramanmaras and Gaziantep, Turkey and Harem, Syria — After 72 hours, rescuers in Turkey are struggling to discover survivors in the wreckage of fallen buildings. Turkey’s Disaster Management Authority (AFAD) reported 12,873 deaths from Monday’s earthquakes, including 2,950 in Syria. Rescuers tirelessly pulled individuals from the wreckage in Kahramanmaras, one of the worst-hit Turkish cities near the epicenter.
On Thursday, it was reported from a collapsed hotel in Kahmaranmaras that 60 people were still under the debris. Since last night, no one has survived the rubble, he claimed. The rescue personnel have recovered some burnt bodies. The rescue crews’ exceptional job is made harder by a fire whose cause is unknown. Nearly 1,000 structures in the southern Turkish city fell, killing over 600 people. Serdar said many people had gathered around the hotel debris waiting for news of their loved ones, but the city was quite chilly, especially overnight. “The rescue attempts here are hectic, but every minute the hopes are fading,” he added. On Wednesday, Turkish President Recap Tayyip Erdogan visited Kahramanmaras amid mounting outrage from the poor at the sluggish arrival of rescue troops. He acknowledged initial government reaction issues. He acknowledged flaws. Conditions are obvious. Disaster preparation is impossible.
His government aimed to reconstruct the devastation in a year. “We will build new residences in all 10 cities to ensure no one is homeless. “Of course, those buildings will take time,” he remarked. Since the initial pre-dawn quake on Monday, more than 100 aftershocks have been recorded, raising the possibility of more structures and rubble collapsing. 22 individuals in a collapsed building were being rescued. Dekker claimed rescue crews have stopped hearing voices or sounds from under the rubble. “This is now a recovery operation—not a rescue one.” “As time passes, the hope of discovering anyone alive under these crushing piles of concrete fades,” she continued. The disaster worsened Syria’s humanitarian problems. Resources needed to clear rubble and discover survivors limit rescue attempts. Ayad Shakir, from Harem in northwest Idlib, told Reporters he had been hunting for his cousin and his family since Monday. We removed his wife and three children yesterday. “We brought my cousin’s spouse back today,” he added.
“He has another son and a tiny daughter, and now we are waiting to bring them out.” Civil defense volunteer Abada Zikri told Reporters that his team had retrieved a man and little child alive from Harem rubble after 50 hours of labor, but the hurdles were great. “Due to the large area impacted, the civil defense forces are struggling [to find adequate] heavy machinery,” Zikri added. Over 400 sites were entirely destroyed, while 250 were slightly damaged. We request international aid.”