Turkey suspends most rescue efforts to search for survivors

Turkey has halted most search and rescue operations almost two weeks after a massive earthquake killed tens of thousands of people, the country’s disaster management agency said.

Search and rescue operations are still ongoing in 40 buildings in two provinces, Kahramanmarash and Hatay, agency head Yunus Sezer said, Anadolu reported.

Since the earthquake, survivors have continued to be found under the rubble. On Saturday, a married couple and their 12-year-old child were rescued in Hatay, 296 hours after the earthquake. The child later died.

Ilan Kelman, professor of natural disasters and health at University College London, told CNN that while there is precedent for people surviving for days after previous earthquakes, “it’s unusual.”

“Essentially, our bodies can be resilient, but a lot depends on pure luck,” Kelman explained.

According to him, in such situations of survival, there is a “hierarchy” of needs. “The rule is three minutes without oxygen, three days without water, three weeks without food,” the expert clarified, meaning that “there must be space for survival … enough oxygen.”

Hatay was one of the hardest hit Turkish provinces, hit by the February 6th earthquake. Provincial mayor Lutfu Savas said on Sunday that at least 80% of his buildings would need to be rebuilt after demolition.

“We urgently need more tents. It will be cold for another month. People are afraid to stay at home but do not want to leave their animals, especially in urban areas,” he said in an interview with the Turkish news channel Haberturk.

According to the latest data, the death toll in Turkey has now exceeded 41 thousand people. Also, more than 5,000 thousand died in Syria.