Turkey Earthquake: Sister protects brother from dust during 36-hour wait for help after earthquake
By Lokmat English Desk | Published: February 8, 2023 06:42 PM2023-02-08T18:42:44+5:302023-02-08T18:42:44+5:30
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Two children wedged between concrete in the remains of their home in northern Syria have been rescued more than 36 hours after Monday’s quake trapped their family as they slept.
“Get me out of here, I’ll do anything for you,” the older child whispers to rescuers who are seen on video squatting in the rubble of the children’s home in Besnaya-Bseineh, a small village in Haram, Syria.
“I’ll be your servant,” she adds, as a rescuer replies, “No, no.”
The girl’s name is Mariam, and she gently strokes the hair on her younger sibling’s head as they lie squashed together in what could be the remains of their bed. She’s able to move her arm enough to cover her sibling’s face, providing some protection from the dust amid the debris.
The younger child’s name is Ilaaf, according to their father – an Islamic name that means protection.
Mustafa Zuhir Al-Sayed says his wife and three children were sleeping in the early hours of Monday when the earth shook with a 7.8-magnitude quake, the biggest to hit the region in more than a century of records.
The death toll in Turkey is now above 8,500 and is expected to rise further in the days ahead.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the figures as he arrived in one of the worst-affected regions.
