'You're a miracle': Remarkable rescues 140 hours after Türkiye quakes

Rescuers have pulled a seven-month-old baby, a 13-year-old girl, and a 27-year-old man more than 140 hours after two back-to-back earthquakes devastated parts of Türkiye and Syria leaving more than 28,000 dead.

Tens of thousands of rescue workers were still scouring through flattened neighbourhoods late on Saturday despite freezing weather that has deepened the misery of millions now in desperate need of aid.

In the midst of destruction and despair, miraculous tales of survival continue to emerge.

Hamza, a seven-month-old baby, was believed to be dead when rescuers reached the spot deep under the rubble where the baby was stuck, motionless, in southern Hatay province. 

"Did you see the baby?" a rescuers tell his co-worker who replies "the baby is not alive, let me check". Dramatic footage of the rescue was aired by state broadcaster TRT Haber.

Moments later the baby was pulled alive from the debris of the toppled building, more than 140 hours after earthquakes.

Rescuers cheered and chanted, "Allah is Great!" as 27-year-old Muhammed was pulled alive from rubble of a flattened building in southern Kahramanmaras province, the epicentre of Monday's powerful tremor. The man was rescued after 140 hours of quakes. During the rescue he recited verses of Holy Quran, according to a TRT Haber video.

In hard-hit Gaziantep province, rescuers told Esma Sultan, 13, "you are a miracle" as they pulled her alive from the debris of a toppled building. Her rescue came after 140 hours of twin earthquakes. 

"Is the world there?" asked 70-year-old Menekse Tabak as she was pulled out from the concrete in the southern city of Kahramanmaras to applause and cries praising Allah, a video on state broadcaster TRT Haber showed.

In the city of Antakya, a two-month-old baby was found alive 128 hours after the quake.

A two-year-old girl, a six-month pregnant woman, and a four-year-old and her father were among those rescued.

Dramatic rescues were being broadcast on Turkish television, including the rescue of the Narli family in central Kahramanmaras 133 hours after the quake struck. First, 12-year-old Nehir Naz Narli was saved, then both of her parents.

That followed the rescue earlier in the day of a family of five from a mound of debris in the hard-hit town of Nurdagi, in Gaziantep province, TV network HaberTurk reported. Rescuers cheered and chanted, "Allah is Great!" as the last family member, the father, was lifted to safety.

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Finding more survivors

The new recoveries came as death toll soared from the twin quakes.

Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said late on Saturday that at least 24,617 people were killed. He said 32,071 search and rescue teams continue to work to locate more survivors. 

Oktay added the Earthquake Crimes Investigation Departments have been established by the prosecutor's offices on instructions of the Justice Ministry in 10 provinces affected by the quakes in the southeast.

He noted the responsibilities of 131 suspects in buildings that collapsed in the quakes were determined — one was arrested and arrest warrants have been issued for 113 others.

Earlier, the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency [AFAD] said 80,278 people were injured in the earthquakes. At least 218,406 search and rescue personnel were working in the field, according to the AFAD statement.

Even though experts say trapped people can live for a week or more, the odds of finding more survivors were quickly waning amid freezing temperatures. 

Rescuers were shifting to thermal cameras to help identify life amid the rubble, a sign that any remaining survivors could be too weak to call for help.

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