Syrian Newborn Saved From Earthquake Debris, Sole Survivor Of Her Immediate Family

Syrian Newborn Baby Rescued From Earthquake Debris

On Monday afternoon (6 Feb), a newborn baby was miraculously saved from the rubble of the aftermath of the Syria and Turkey earthquake.

The child is the only survivor from her immediate family, who all died when the 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit Jindayris, northern Syria.

As of now, the earthquake has killed over 1,600 people in Syria and claimed over 3,400 lives in Turkey.

Syrian newborn survives earthquake

A video on Twitter shows a man pulling the newborn out from the rubble and carrying her to safety, revealing her dust-covered body.

A mother in Syria gave birth to her baby before she was dead. #earthquake pic.twitter.com/HVUEqEBLRu

— Muhammad Smiry 🇵🇸 (@MuhammadSmiry) February 7, 2023

According to Agence France-Presse (AFP) via France 24, relatives found the baby still tied to her mother by the umbilical cord.

While the infant was alive, her mother had unfortunately passed on after giving birth to her.

Her father, four siblings, and an aunt also did not survive the devastating quake, which destroyed their family home.

This makes the baby the sole survivor of her immediate family.

AFP notes that she was later brought to the nearby town of Afrin to receive treatment.

Meanwhile, extended family members spent hours retrieving the bodies of the deceased.

They laid the bodies out on the ground of a relative’s home ahead of a joint funeral, which was held on Tuesday (7 Feb).

Newborn is now in stable condition

The newborn arrived at the hospital in a bad state.

Not only did she have numerous bruises and lacerations, she also had hypothermia from the cold.

Thankfully, AFP reports that the child is now in stable condition, although her fingers and forehead still blue from the freezing temperatures.

Doctors will continue to monitor her condition.

Many victims remain trapped underneath rubble

Many earthquake victims still remain missing.

The White Helmets, a volunteer organisation, shared on a Twitter that they “still hear the cries for help from those trapped under the rubble”.

According to BBC News, the United Nations (UN) has vowed to use “any and all means” possible to get aid to victims in the north-west.

However, they had to pause deliveries for the time being due to logistical issues.

AFP highlights that Turkey and its Syrian rebel proxies seized Jindayris in a 2018 offensive.

This caused Kurdish forces to leave the Afrin region. As a result, the region was cut off from government-held territory and they lack the resources to effectively respond to emergencies of such a magnitude.

Furthermore, Turkish non-governmental organisations (NGOs) remain busy with rescue efforts across the border.

As such, they had to delay their rescue efforts in Syrian towns like Jindayris.

MS News expresses our deepest condolences to the families of the deceased. We hope that all victims who are still stuck underneath the debris will be rescued soon.

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Featured image adapted from Rami al Sayed via AFP and AFP.