As the death toll from the Turkey-Syria earthquake reaches over 25,000, rescuers are continuing their efforts to pull survivors from the rubble. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, children were among those rescued on Friday. Meanwhile, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has admitted that the government’s response was not as swift as it could have been, acknowledging that “the relief and rescue operations are not as fast as we would like.”
In the midst of tragedy, there have been miraculous rescues, such as the newborn rescued after being attached to its dead mother’s umbilical cord. Another young boy was pulled to safety 103 hours after the earthquake, along with his mother. In Nurdagi, near Iskenderun, a Spanish rescue worker led a mission to save a young family, including a 2-year-old boy and his 6-year-old sister, from the rubble. And in Iskenderun, six members of a family were rescued from a collapsed building after being stranded for 101 hours.
The international community has come forward to offer assistance to Turkey and Syria in the wake of the disaster. India has sent NDRF teams along with a medical team, and the World Bank has pledged $1.78 billion in aid. The United States has also announced $85 million in aid for the two countries.
As the search for survivors continues, the cries of those still trapped in the debris can be heard over the sounds of drills and grinders. The efforts of rescue workers serve as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of tragedy.
