Stories of survival provide ray of hope amid Türkiye disaster

Heartwarming scenes of a child plucked alive from the rubble and a 24-year-old surviving a 49-hour ordeal underneath collapsed concrete have laid bare the human cost of the deadly earthquakes that hit Türkiye and Syria.

For two days and nights since the powerful quake, an impromptu army of rescuers have worked in freezing temperatures to find those still entombed among ruins that pockmark several cities in either side of the border.

The death toll from the disaster is now inching closer to 10,000 in both countries. That could yet double if the worst fears of experts are realised.

But the stories of survival that emerged from the rubble of the quake have brought some glimmer of hope for rescuers and families of victims alike.

Teacher rescued from the rubble

Mesude Akar, a 24-year-old teacher in Hatay, Türkiye, was pulled out early on Wednesday from under the rubble of a collapsed concrete building 49 hours after the quake.

Akar was transferred by rescue workers to an ambulance so she could receive medical treatment from medics and doctors working tirelessly to rescue more people.

Hatay was one of the hardest hit provinces in Türkiye.

Two women rescued after 48 hours

Also in Hatay, two other women were rescued from the remnants of a concrete apartment 48 hours after the deadly disaster.

Mona Gazel, 52, and Necla Melek, 74, were rescued early on Wednesday. 

Both women went through a preliminary health check before being transferred to a hospital.

Adiyaman infant rescued after 36 hours

A baby who survived the Türkiye earthquakes in Adiyaman, one of the ten provinces affected by the seismic event, was rescued by Konya and Amasya Merzifon Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) members.

The baby, whose name was not readily available, was turned over to health authorities who transferred the infant to a hospital.

Search and rescue missions continue in the 10 provinces hit by the Türkiye earthquakes, sifting through rubble and listening for any signs of life.

Syrian baby and mother found alive after 44 hours

Search and rescue teams also pulled out two-year-old Vafe Sabha and the child’s 33-year-old mother, Imed Sabha, in Hatay, 44 hours after massive tremors shook Türkiye’s southern region and neighbouring Syria.

Photos of the rescue effort showed rescuers celebrating as Vafe, who was looking visibly traumatised, emerged from the rubble.

Miracle baby

In Sanliurfa, rescue teams pulled a one-year-old baby alive from the rubble of a five-story building, 53 hours after the disaster.

The unnamed baby was referred to a hospital after being given first aid at the scene.