On 6 Feb, two earthquakes hit Türkiye and Syria in succession, with the first measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale.
Many people were trapped underneath the rubble. The latest update from The Wall Street Journal states that the death toll has now exceeded 17,500.
One of the survivors is seven-year-old Mariam, a girl from Syria who was found protecting her little brother Ilaaf whilst stuck underneath a slab of concrete. Footage of her brave actions has gone viral on social media.
Fortunately, rescuers managed to pull both children out to safety.
On 7 Feb, footage of the siblings lying beneath the rubble in their hometown of Haram, northern Syria emerged on Twitter and instantly went viral.
Source: @Omar_Madaniah on Twitter
The video shows Mariam protecting her brother from the debris on top of them, shielding his head with her elbow.
According to CNN, she begged the emergency responder,
Get me out of here, I’ll do anything for you.
Mariam then gently smoothed Ilaaf’s hair down before continuing, “I’ll be your servant.”
Source: @Omar_Madaniah on Twitter
The rescuer told her that it won’t be necessary, saying, “No, no.”
The footage struck a chord with the international community, with many expressing their sympathy for the children.
The New York Post reports that the children were trapped for over 36 hours before rescuers were able to pull them to safety and carry them away in blankets.
Source: @Omar_Madaniah on Twitter
In a photo, they are seen resting in bed after authorities conveyed them to a hospital for medical treatment.
Source: NY Post
Their father Mustafa Zuhir Al-Sayed told CNN that he and his family were sleeping when the earthquakes struck on Monday morning.
“We felt the ground shaking… and rubble began falling over our head, and we stayed two days under the rubble,” he said.
We went through, a feeling… a feeling I hope no one has to feel.
Trapped under the wreckage, the family recited the Quran and prayed that someone would find them.
Fortunately, people heard them and managed to rescue all of them.
The death toll from the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria has now passed 17,000, Reuters reports. That figure is likely to continue climbing.
Freezing temperatures have made the situation even direr as hundreds of thousands of victims are now left homeless.
Amid the devastating tragedies, at least one family managed to get to safety.
Hopefully, rescuers will be able to find more survivors.
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Featured image adapted from Twitter and NY Post.
The authorities have investigated and closed the incident with no follow-ups required, MFA said.
He crossed the border daily in hopes of buying a house for his family.
On a few days, the thundery showers might extend into the night.
His church has urged parishioners to refrain from visiting him as he heals.
The kitten will be put up for adoption after its injuries are cured.
The toasts were barely a few centimetres thick.