Father Clutches the Hand of His 15-YO Dead Daughter Trapped Under Rubble in Turkey Earthquake

Heart-rending images continue to emerge from Turkey and Syria as the death toll from the 7.8-magnitude earthquake on February 6 rises. On February 7, AFP's Adem Atlan photographed father Mesut Hancer who held the hands of his daughter Irmak, 15, after she died under the rubble in Kahramanmaras, near the earthquake's epicenter. 

The girl's hand was stretched out from underneath the concrete slabs that collapsed on her during the fatal quake, as per PEOPLE. More than 11,000 people have died as a result of the earthquake, according to the Associated Press and Reuters.

The rescue teams in Turkey and Syria are looking for signs of life in the rubble. Teams from more than two dozen countries have joined hands with tens of thousands of local emergency personnel in the effort. But the scale of destruction from the quake and its aftermath is so immense and spread over such a wide area that many people are still awaiting help.

Rescuers at times have also used excavators or picked gingerly through debris. It was not clear how many people might still be trapped.

Over 8,500 deaths have been reported in Turkey, and more than 2,500 deaths have been reported in Syria. Experts told the AP that the time to rescue victims alive is shrinking rapidly.

"Statistically, today is the day when we're going to stop finding people," said David Alexander, a professor of emergency planning and management at University College London, per the report. "That doesn't mean we should stop searching."

On February 8, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan admitted the government was not entirely efficient in its initial response to the quake, per the reports. “It is not possible to be prepared for such a disaster,” Erdogan said, per AP.

He further added, “We will not leave any of our citizens uncared for.” He also spoke about his critics that “dishonorable people” were spreading “lies and slander” about the government’s actions.

The President, who is up for re-election in May, added that the response has improved. He also promised the government would distribute 10,000 Turkish lira (or about $532) to families affected by the disaster.

Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of Turkey's main opposition party, has accused Erdoğan of not preparing the country for a disaster like this and of misspending funds. 

Turkey is prone to earthquakes, though the one that struck on February 6, is believed to be the strongest in the country in about eight decades, according to NPR. This is the deadliest earthquake worldwide since 2015 when a 7.8-magnitude quake left 8,800 people dead in Nepal, the AP reported.

This is a developing story, and we’ll update you as we learn more. Information about the earthquake is swiftly changing, and WomenWorking is committed to providing the most recent and verified updates in our articles and reportage. However, considering the frequency of developments, some of the information/data in this article may have changed since the time of publication.

References:

https://people.com/human-interest/father-holds-hand-daughter-dead-under-rubble-earthquake-turkey-photos/

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/death-toll-syria-turkey-quake-rises-more-than-8700-2023-02-08/

https://apnews.com/article/science-turkey-syria-earthquakes-8fc4e52f5f261edce7b05d0b06601d3a

https://www.npr.org/2023/02/07/1154913148/turkey-earthquake-fault-lines-syria

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