Earthquake in Turkey and Syria | “People are sending voice messages from under the rubble”: a desperate search for survivors for a while between tremors and frosts

After more than 5,000 deaths and massive destruction in an earthquake that struck southern Turkey near the Syrian border, rescue services are trying to save as many people as possible from the rubble.

The earthquake that rocked the region on Monday had a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter scale and was regarded by experts as the strongest to hit there since 1939.

This was reflected, in addition to the number of deaths that still cannot be accurately determined, and the thousands of injuries, hundreds of buildings destroyed, where, it is feared, hundreds of people were trapped.

The Turkish authorities organized a major rescue operation, which was attended by more than 1,000 volunteers, along with other bodies of international organizations and governments around the world, who offered their support to the governments of Turkey and Syria.

And one more inconvenience is added to this panorama.: difficult climatic conditions occurring in the most affected areas.

Freezing temperatures, snow and rain are hampering overnight searches for survivors in Turkey as rescuers hear people stranded in the rubble scream for help.

A man in Hatay, a province in southern Turkey, wept in the rain as he told Reuters news agency of the agonizing wait for victims.

“They make noise, but no one comes”Denise said, waving her arms frantically.

“We are devastated. My God. They scream. They say: “Save us”, but we cannot save them… Nobody has been here since morning.”

Meanwhile in Syria, where the death toll has now risen to 1,500, Raed al-Saleh of the White Helmets, a rescue service in rebel-held territory, said they were “competing with time to save lives.” under rubble.

battle against time

According to Dr. Richard Edward Moon of Duke University, an expert in intensive care, rescuers are in a hurry to race for several reasons.

“The lack of water and oxygen are critical barriers to survival: every adult loses up to 1.2 liters of water per day,” the expert said.

“This is urine, exhalation, water vapor and sweat.. At the moment when eight liters or more are lost, that is, when a person becomes seriously ill, ”he added.

For the Moon, winter conditions greatly exacerbate the situation.

“On average, an adult can tolerate temperatures up to 21°C without losing the body’s ability to retain heat. But when it’s colder it’s a different storyhe points out.

“At this point, body temperature essentially follows the temperature of the environment. And the rate at which (hypothermia) can occur will depend on how isolated the person is or how many underground shelters they may have. But in the end, many of those who are unlucky in these circumstances can succumb to hypothermia, ”the resuscitator said.

Added to this is a call from several journalists who say they have received “voice messages from people who are under the rubble.”

“People send me voice messages from under the rubble. They sent the video to other journalists, telling them where they were,” Turkish journalist Ibrahim Haskologlu told the BBC.

The journalist, who hails from the region most affected by the earthquake, he notes that he is going to the area to try and help with the rescue.

“However, we must answer that there is little we can do for them. We need all the international help we can get.”

unattended areas

According to the Turkish government, the earthquake mainly affected 10 provinces of the country.

However, residents of the Hatay region, one of the worst affected by the earthquake, said that there was no rescue organization in the area.

“Not a single team came to our area. We waited 14 hours and no one showed up,” a government official from the Samandag district, located in the province of Hatay, about 200 kilometers south of the epicenter of the Serkan Topal earthquake, told the BBC.

“I traveled through most of the province and did not meet a single building. Most of the official bodies are out of order, and there is an urgent need for external assistance,” he added.

The governor of Hatay Province, Lutfyu Savash, noted that not a single truck with humanitarian aid had arrived in the area.

“This is a disaster that the government cannot handle. We urgently need search and rescue teams. It’s two or three degrees outside right now. It’s raining. People can die from the cold.”

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