A heart-wrenching photo from Turkey depicts the sorrow of families affected by the two devastating earthquakes.
The image captures the pain felt by thousands of families who lost loved ones in the quake, with fears of up to 20,000 casualties in Turkey and Syria.
A father, Mesut Hancer, holds the hand of his 15-year-old daughter, Irmak, who is trapped under the rubble. Irmak is lying on her bed surrounded by debris from their destroyed apartment block, as her father sits nearby with a blank expression.
Rescuers and civilians are working tirelessly to find survivors. The earthquake, with magnitude 7.8 and 7.5, struck southeast Turkey and parts of Syria, leaving over 7,200 confirmed dead and affecting 13.5 million people across a 450km area. Search and rescue efforts have been ongoing since the first quake hit on February 6, followed by over 200 aftershocks.
Mesut Hancer, a heartbroken father, held the hand of his 15-year-old daughter as she took her last breath under the debris of a building that collapsed. (Credit: AFP)
In the heart-wrenching photo, Mesut sits amidst the rubble with a distant gaze. He tenderly holds the hand of his daughter, Irmak, who lies lifeless under concrete on a mattress.
In the devastated city of Hatay, Turkey, residents cried out in desperation as the sounds of those trapped under rubble filled the air.
As rescue workers continue their search, they face challenges such as cold weather, aftershocks, and damaged infrastructure like roads and power. In Nurdagi, Turkey, local resident Ali Silo recalls how he heard the cries of those trapped but was unable to save his relatives. In Sanliurfa, a Turkish town near the Syrian border, rescue workers are listening intently for any signs of life in a collapsed seven-story building where 35 people are still missing.
The earthquake, which struck at 4:17 am on Monday and had a magnitude of 7.8, affected dozens of towns and cities over a 200-mile radius. Thousands of rescuers have rushed to the area, but the widespread damage and infrastructure issues have made it difficult for the relief efforts to reach all the devastated areas.
Many survivors are still buried under the rubble of collapsed buildings, and the next 24 to 48 hours are crucial for their rescue. International search and rescue teams have arrived to help, but the scale of the disaster is massive, and the fate of countless people remains unknown.
Images of rescuers frantically digging through rubble in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake have been broadcast on Turkish television. The quake affected almost all of the major cities along the border with Syria, with city centers and residential neighborhoods being hit particularly hard.
Amidst the chaos and destruction, a heartwarming story has emerged. A baby was born under the rubble in the northeastern Syrian town of Jenderes, and was rescued just minutes later. The young mother, who was trapped under the wreckage for over a day, delivered the baby amidst the weight of the building that had fallen on top of her.
Despite the traumatic and difficult circumstances, the mother showed incredible courage and strength, bringing new life into the world even as the world around her crumbled. The baby was quickly pulled to safety by the rescuers.
Despite the bravery and strength shown by a mother who gave birth to her child while trapped under the rubble, the mother reportedly passed away shortly after the delivery.