Turkey Earthquake: Over 33,000 Dead Including an Indian
An Indian who was missing after the Turkey earthquake was found dead under the debris.
On 6th February 2023 a major earthquake hit Turkey and Syria. Countries from around the world sent army, rescue teams, doctors, food, medicines and other aids to help in the rescue operation. Now, a week after the earthquake the death total in both the countries rose above 33,000 and looked set to keep growing. It was the deadliest quake in Turkey since 1939. After the massive earthquake there were many aftershocks that were felt. An earthquake of magnitude 4.7 struck Turkey’s Kahramanmaras city on 12th February 2023.
In sad news, the Indian embassy in Turkey confirmed that the body of Indian national Vijay Kumar Gaud who was missing since the earthquakes hit Turkey was found on 11th February 2023 in the debris of a hotel in Malatya where he was on a business trip. The victim’s face was injured beyond recognition and the body was identified by his family by the tattoo of the word “Om” on his hand. The Indian embassy also said that they were making arrangements for the earliest possible transportation of his mortal remains to his family and that 10 others were stuck in remote areas of Turkey but are safe. The Indian Army has set up a field hospital in Turkey's Hatay to assist the earthquake-affected people. Set up in less than six hours, the hospital is functioning round the clock to treat the injured.
Meanwhile there have been some miraculous survivors who have been rescued from under the debris.
A woman was feeding her second son, a 10 day old baby when the earthquake struck. Her husband and elder son tried to come to her room but a wardrobe fell on them and they were stuck. They were rescued from the rubble in a couple of days. The mother and the baby were rescued after 4 days. The mother was able to breastfeed the baby in the confined space. However she herself didn't have anything to eat or drink.
A 17-year-old boy was trapped under the rubble for around 94 hours. He was asleep in his family's home when the earthquake struck. He further said that he drank his own urine and ate his family’s flowers to survive. He said, “I set the alarm on my phone every 25 minutes so I wouldn’t go to sleep.
A dog too was rescued after 90 hours trapped in the rubble of a building destroyed in the Turkey earthquake.
A Deaf man from Turkey too posted a video of being trapped under the debris of a building. He tried to alert the rescuers by banging the slabs. In the video the Deaf said that he is not sure where his family is and if they have survived. He was waiting for his own rescue. We will share the updates on whether the Deaf man has been rescued or not. Some could be saved while some lost their lives.
There have been such miraculous survival stories however, now after a week of the earthquake, the hopes of finding more survivors are decreasing.
