Hero of the Day: 4-Year-Old Girl Rescued After 7.5 Days in Earthquake Rubble

Nine days after a powerful earthquake struck Turkey and Syria, rescue crews are still pulling people alive from the rubble.^[0] On Monday, a 4-year-old girl was rescued after being trapped in the ruins of a block of apartments for an incredible seven-and-a-half days.^[1] Video of her rescue showed workers clapping and shouting “God is great” as she was carried away on a stretcher.

The earthquake has left millions homeless, including many Syrian refugees who have already been displaced by the war in Syria.^[2] The United Nations’ head of aid operations has said that the rescue phase is coming to a close and efforts will now turn to providing shelter, food, and care to the survivors.^[3]

The story of the 4-year-old girl has been dubbed “the hero of the day” and the video of her rescue has been widely shared on social media. It serves as a reminder of the resilience of the human spirit and of the courage of those who risk their lives to save others in times of disaster.

0. “Woman, 77, rescued from rubble more than a week after Turkey quake” CNN, 15 Feb. 2023, https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/15/europe/turkey-earthquake-survivor-rescued-rubble-intl-hnk/index.html

1. “WATCH: Turkish Child Saved After 178 Hours Under Earthquake Rubble” The Daily Beast, 13 Feb. 2023, https://www.thedailybeast.com/turkish-child-saved-after-178-hours-under-earthquake-rubble

2. ““Crisis on Top of a Crisis”: Syrians Displaced by War Now Dealing with Earthquake Devastation” Democracy Now!, 13 Feb. 2023, https://www.democracynow.org/2023/2/13/turkey_syria_earthquake

3. “Volunteer groups rush to distribute aid to Turkey quake victims” Al Jazeera English, 14 Feb. 2023, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/2/14/volunteer-groups-to-help-quake-victims-spread-across-turkey