Turkey, Syria earthquake: Family of 5 safely pulled from rubble

ANTAKYA, Turkey — Rescue teams in Turkey pulled a family of five to safety from their collapsed home on Saturday, five days after a catastrophic 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit the area.

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The death toll from the earthquake has topped 25,000, but on Saturday crews rescued a mother and daughter from the rubble before pulling three other family members from the debris, The Associated Press reported.

Havva and Fatmagul Aslan were extricated from a mound of debris in the town of Nurdag, according to the Turkish newspaper HaberTurk. Teams later reached the family’s father, Hasan Aslan, but the man insisted that crews first rescue his other daughter, Zeynep, and his son, Saltik Bugra, the AP reported.

After the siblings were freed, Haslan Aslan was brought out of the building as rescuers cheered, according to the news organization.

The number of people rescued is now nine, according to the AP.

The family was rescued 129 hours after the earthquake first hit the area of southern Turkey and northwest Syria, Reuters reported. According to the AP, hopes of finding more survivors have diminished as the area endures freezing temperatures.

Other people rescued included a 16-year-old boy and a 70-year-old woman, CNN reported.

The teen, Kamil Can Agas, asked his rescuers, “What day is it?” according to a report from NTV television after the boy was pulled out of the rubble in the city of Kahramanmaras.

On Friday, a newborn baby and his mother were found alive in a collapsed building in Turkey.

The United Nations’ aid chief, Martin Griffiths, described the earthquake as the “worst event in 100 years in this region,” according to the BBC.

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Turkey/Syria earthquake ELBISTAN, TURKEY - FEBRUARY 09: A rescue dog smells the debris of a ruined building while search and rescue operations continue on February 9, 2023 in Elbistan Turkey. A 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit near Gaziantep, Turkey, in the early hours of Monday, followed by another 7.5-magnitude tremor just after midday. The quakes caused widespread destruction in southern Turkey and northern Syria and were felt in nearby countries. (Photo by Mehmet Kacmaz/Getty Images) (Mehmet Kacmaz/Getty Images)