Miracle rescues in Turkey, Syria
The rescue phase appears to be coming to a close after magnitudes 7.8 and 7.6 earthquakes struck southern Turkey, according to reports. Tens of thousands of people have died, and the death toll is expected to rise. However, amid the devastating aftermath of one of the deadliest natural disasters of the century, it’s been miraculous to see rescue workers pulling people out alive from the rubble, especially days later.
Here is a list of the most recent miraculous moments recorded on camera. Turkey is a predominantly Islamic country, and for many rescues they were an operation in faith for survivors and rescue teams alike.
MORE: How to pray for those affected by the earthquake in Turkey, Syria
A woman called Naide Umar was rescued after 175 hours of being trapped under a flattened building in Hatay province in southern Turkey. She is one of the latest people known to have been rescued. According to Ihlas news agency, medical teams administered first aid on site before an ambulance rushed her to a hospital, according to Al Jazeera.
A 64-year-old mother was rescued in Hatay, after 150 hours under rubble. Her son, who had been anxiously waiting for her to come out, helped carry her stretcher to the waiting ambulance. It was an answer to his prayers.
Osman Firat, 47, was trapped under debris in Kahramanmaras for 104 hours. As rescuers worked to free him, he recited the last two verses of the Quran’s longest chapter, Surah al-Baqarah.
A four-year-old girl named Miray has been saved after 178 hours under debris in the Turkish province of Adiyaman. Clapping and cheers of “Allahu Akbar” or “God is the greatest” broke out. It is believed most people can live without water only for three to four days, or 72 to 96 hours.
Miners, construction workers and a fire brigade spent hours digging and cutting into monstrous chunks of cement and contorted rebar to finally reveal ayong Syrian refugee called Reem, who had somehow survived as she lay trapped next to her sister, who had died. In between the work to cut around Reem and dump rubble from out of the cavity, medics occasionally fed her water through a straw, each time emerging to rejoice and declare how much she had drunk.
MORE: Helping victims of natural disasters
Relief organizations tend to scramble to find survivors in the first 72 hours after a natural disaster, as the passing of time exponentially diminisheshope for finding survivors. Soit’s nothing short of a miracle in this race against time to see people still being pulled out alive after days of being trapped under rubble without food or water and in temperatures well below freezing.
Continue to pray for the survivors, as well as the first responders hard at work, who have played a large role in recording these moments as they happen. For many, it’s helped refuel rescuers’ hope and strength as they press on.
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