Miraculous Stories of Survival Emerge from Devastating Earthquakes in Turkey and Syria

At least 16,000 people have been killed and many more injured after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake and a series of aftershocks struck Turkey and Syria on Tuesday. Rescue teams have been working around the clock to pull survivors from the rubble of collapsed buildings, and their efforts have been rewarded with some miraculous stories of survival.

In Antakya, a young girl was pulled from the ruins of a building and her father was rescued alive two hours later. In Diyarbakir, east of Antakya, rescuers freed an injured woman from a collapsed building and as they prepared to load her into an ambulance, they told her that her daughter was alive and they were taking her to the same field hospital for treatment.

US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield released a statement expressing her sadness at the loss of life and the humanitarian toll of the earthquakes. “I am deeply saddened by the loss of life and devastating humanitarian toll caused by the earthquakes impacting Türkiye and Syria,” she said.

The death toll is expected to rise as rescue efforts continue, and humanitarian agencies are appealing for donations to help those affected by the disaster. The Turkish Red Crescent has set up a relief fund and is providing food, shelter, and medical supplies to those in need.