A woman rescued in Kirikhan, Turkey, by a German rescue team after more than 100 hours under rubble following Monday’s strong earthquake, succumbed to her injuries on Saturday, a German NGO said.
“Zeynep died overnight. Yesterday (Friday) she was rescued from the rubble of her collapsed house, more than 100 hours after the violent earthquake,” the NGO ISAR Germany tweeted.
“Our team is shocked and saddened,” adds the German NGO, which specializes in helping victims of natural disasters.
This 40-year-old woman was immediately seen by doctors on Friday.
The German team explained on Friday that they had managed, while she was still buried, to supply her with water and fruit juice with a hose. They had been in contact with her for several days through a small well.
At least 24,490 dead
“The rescue was very difficult because it was very narrow,” Stefan Heine, a spokesman for the NGO, said on Friday, describing “a one-centimeter job with a rock breaker.”
“The woman remained face down for a long time, very close to the deceased relatives,” he added.
This victim had resisted for more than 72 hours, which experts consider crucial to finding survivors under the rubble.
Over 90% of earthquake survivors are rescued within three days of the disaster. However, this duration can vary significantly depending on the weather, the frequency of aftershocks, and the speed of arrival of aid.
According to the latest official reports, the magnitude 7.8 quake killed at least 24,490 people: 20,937 in Turkey and 3,553 in Syria.
Source: BFM TV
