Turkish rescuers find 2 men, teenage boy alive in rubble, 12 days after quake

More than 45,000 people have been killed in the earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria, and the death toll is expected to rise with some 264,000 apartments in Turkey damaged and many still missing as rescue workers search for signs of life in the rubble.

Twelve days after the earthquake, workers from Kyrgyzstan tried to rescue a Syrian family of five from the rubble of a building in the southern Turkish city of Antakya.

Three people, including a child, were rescued alive. The mother and father survived but the boy died of dehydration, rescue teams said. One sister and twin did not come.

“We heard screams when we were digging today an hour ago. When we find someone alive, we are always happy,” Atay Osmanov, a member of the rescue team, told Reuters.

Ten ambulances were waiting on a nearby road that was blocked to traffic to rescue them.

The workers asked for complete silence and everyone to crouch or sit while the team climbed further up to the top of the rubble of the building where the family met to listen for other sounds using electronic detectors.

As rescue efforts continued, one worker yelled into the rubble: “Take a deep breath if you hear my voice.”

The workers then halted the search operation as excavators arrived and climbed up the rubble to begin clearing.

The death toll in Turkey stands at 39,672 from the quake, the country’s worst modern disaster, while neighboring Syria has reported more than 5,800 deaths. Tolls in Syria have not changed for days.

While many international rescue teams have left the vast earthquake zone, domestic teams continued to search for flattened buildings on Saturday in hopes of finding more survivors who defied the odds. Experts say most rescues happen within 24 hours of an earthquake.

Hakan Yaasinoglu, in the 40s, was rescued in the southern province of Hatay, 278 hours after the 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck at night on February 6, Istanbul Fire Brigade said.

Earlier, Osman Halebiye, 14, and Mustafa Avci, 34, were kept in the historical Turkish city of Antakya, known in ancient times as Antiochia. As Avci was being taken away, he was given a video call with his parents, which showed him a newborn baby.

“I have lost all hope. This is a true miracle. He gave my son back. I saw the wreckage and I thought that no one could be saved alive from there,” said his father.

Aid organizations say survivors will need help for months with vital infrastructure damaged.

The football player’s body was found

Ghanaian winger Christian Atsu was found dead under the collapsed building where he lived, in Hatay, Turkish agents said on Saturday.

Atsu, 31, has been missing since the earthquake.

The manager said Atsu had been scheduled to fly out of southern Turkey hours before the earthquake, but he chose to stay with the club after scoring the winning goal in the February 5 Super Lig match.

Atsu joined Hatayspor in September last year after spells with English Premier League clubs Everton, Chelsea and Newcastle United.

In neighboring Syria, which has been ravaged by more than a decade of civil war, most of the casualties are in the northwest, an area controlled by rebels fighting President Bashar al-Assad – a conflict that has complicated efforts to help people. hit by an earthquake.

Thousands of Syrians who have fled Turkey from their country’s civil war have returned to their homes in the war zone – at least for now.

Anger at poor construction

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

For families still waiting to pick up their relatives in Turkey, there is growing anger over what they see as destructive building practices and flawed urban development that have caused thousands of homes and businesses to collapse.

One such building is the Ronesans Rezidans (Renaissance Residence), located in Antakya, which killed hundreds.

“They say it’s earthquake safe, but you can see the results,” said Hamza Alpaslan, 47, whose brother lives in the apartment block. “It’s in terrible condition. There’s no proper cement or iron. It’s a real hell.”

Turkey has vowed to investigate anyone suspected of being responsible for the building collapse and ordered the arrest of more than 100 suspects, including the developer.

The United Nations on Thursday asked for more than $ 1 billion in funds for the Turkish aid operation, and has launched an appeal of $ 400 million for the Syrian people.