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Turkey’s president faced mounting anger yesterday over the slow response to deadly earthquakes, as he insisted it was “not possible” to prepare for the disaster.
Rescuers continued to fight to find survivors but warned that hopes were fading for those who have now been trapped inside collapsed buildings for more than 72 hours.
Amid despair, and mounting anger against Turkey’s authoritarian President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the dramatic rescues provided moments of hope, including an entire family of six pulled from the rubble of their home. Two girls and a boy were brought to safety by rescuers from the White Helmets group in Idlib, Syria, to jubilant cheers from a large crowd that had gathered around the collapsed building.
The rescue group also pulled three adults into an ambulance, warning it faced a “race against time” to save other survivors.
In the Turkish city of Hatay, an eight-year-old boy has been rescued after being trapped alone inside a collapsed building for 52 hours.
Two girls (a girl in the photo) and a boy were brought to safety by rescuers from the White Helmets group in Idlib, Syria.
The brother (pictured) of the two girls was also pulled from the rubble by rescuers.
Rescuers passed Yigit Cakmak straight into the arms of his distraught mother, who hugged the distraught boy.
Elsewhere in Turkey, rescuers sipped water from a bottle cap to a toddler trapped for 45 hours under a massive concrete slab.
Syrian refugee Muhammed Ahmed was trapped under concrete and covered in dust, but managed to smile at his rescuers as they used a plastic bottle cap to drip water into his mouth until he could be freed.
It is now known that almost 12,000 people have died in Turkey and Syria since the powerful earthquakes on Monday, with many thousands more still missing.
Families have said they can hear relatives calling from inside the collapsed buildings, but are unable to reach them.
In the Turkish city of Malatya, Sabiha Alinak said she had young relatives trapped inside a collapsed apartment building.
She said: ‘Where is the state? Where have they been for two days? We are begging you.
Journalist Ozel Pikal said he believed the survivors were freezing to death as temperatures dropped to -6C (21F). He said: ‘As of today there is no hope left in Malatya. No one is going to get out alive.
Freezing temperatures have also hit survivors sleeping in cars or outdoors.
Pictured: The second daughter rescued to jubilant cheers from a large crowd that had gathered around the collapsed building.
The rescue group also pulled three adults, including the children’s father (pictured), into an ambulance, which warned it faced a “race against time” to save other survivors.
President Erdogan visited some of the devastated areas yesterday and rejected criticism of his response. During a visit to Hatay and Kahramanmaras, two of the hardest-hit southern regions, he told reporters: “It is not possible to be prepared for such a big disaster.”
He hit out at critics who said rescuers and security forces had not reached the region, calling them “provocative.” Erdogan acknowledged that rescue efforts were hampered by damaged roads, but insisted that his government was overcoming the problems.
There have been reports of arrests for posting criticism on social media. Internet groups said that access to Twitter had been blocked in an apparent attempt to limit public criticism. The government has previously restricted social media following disasters, terrorist attacks, and protests.
Opposition politicians condemned the move as “crazy” at a time when survivors relied on social media to find family, help and shelter.
Activist and lawyer Ali Gul accused the government of delaying relief efforts, adding: “He is killing people on purpose.” Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of the main opposition, said: ‘If anyone is responsible for this process, it is Erdogan. It is this ruling party that has not prepared the country for an earthquake for 20 years.’
The international rescue teams include a 77-member team from Great Britain, which arrived with rescue dogs and state-of-the-art equipment. But there have been warnings that aid is not coming to Syria, already scarred by civil war.
Experts warned that it was critical to reach survivors within 72 hours, before crush injuries, blood loss, dehydration, starvation and exposure to freezing temperatures became critical.
Ilan Kelman, professor of disasters and health at University College London, said the survival window was “closing rapidly.”