Miraculous Rescue of Baby After 128 Hours Trapped in Rubble
On Saturday, February 11th, 2023, a two-month-old baby was rescued from the rubble of a deadly earthquake in southern Turkey.[0] After 128 hours of being trapped in the collapsed building, the infant was taken to a hospital for medical checks. The number of deaths in Turkey rose to 29,605 on Sunday, while more than 4,500 people have died in Syria.[1]
Adnan Muhammet Korkut, a seven-year-old boy who was also rescued from the rubble, said he was asleep in his family’s home when the quake hit.[2] In order to survive, he drank his own urine and ate his family’s flowers.[2] To stay awake, Korkut set an alarm on his phone for every 25 minutes, but the battery went dead after two days.[3] He explained that he could hear voices, but was worried that they couldn’t hear him.[2]
The two earthquakes that struck the region on February 6th have caused a death toll of 28,000 and left thousands of survivors homeless.[4] Thousands of rescue workers are still searching through the flattened neighbourhoods despite freezing weather that has deepened the misery of millions.[5]
In light of these events, the UN aid chief Martin Griffiths has stated that he expects the death toll to at least double.[6] The public is being urged to help the millions in need of assistance and support the survivors.
0. “Turkey quake aftermath: Miracle rescue saves 2-month-old baby after 128 hours from debris” WION, 11 Feb. 2023, https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-quake-aftermath-miracle-rescue-saves-2-month-old-baby-after-128-hours-in-debris-560961
1. “Turkey-Syria earthquake live news: Death toll goes past 33,000” Al Jazeera English, 12 Feb. 2023, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2023/2/12/turkey-syria-earthquake-live-news-death-toll-tops-29000
2. “17-year-old drank urine, ate family's flowers to survive 94 hours trapped in rubble of Turkey quake” KABC-TV, 10 Feb. 2023, https://abc7.com/earthquake-turkey-syria-teen-urine/12796696
3. “17-year-old drank urine to survive 94 hours trapped in rubble of Turkey quake” ABC News, 10 Feb. 2023, https://abcnews.go.com/International/17-year-spent-94-hours-trapped-rubble-drank/story?id=97034949
4. “Watch: Turkish miners rescue 5-month-old baby trapped under rubble for 131 hours | Mint” Mint, 12 Feb. 2023, https://www.livemint.com/news/world/watch-turkish-miners-rescue-5-month-old-baby-trapped-under-rubble-for-131-hours-11676163643873.html
5. “This Two-Month-Old Survived Under Rubble For 128 Hours After Turkey Quake” NDTV, 12 Feb. 2023, https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/turkey-earthquake-128-hours-after-earthquake-2-month-old-baby-rescued-from-under-rubble-3774922
6. “‘What shall we do?’ Millions displaced in Turkey and Syria after earthquake” The Guardian, 12 Feb. 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/12/what-shall-we-do-millions-displaced-in-turkey-and-syria-after-earthquake
