Turkey earthquake: end of relief efforts for quake survivors

Istanbul, Turkey
CNN
—

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

Search and rescue efforts are still ongoing in 40 buildings in two provinces, Kahramanmaraş and Hatay, agency chief Yunus Sezer said, according to the official Anadolu news agency.

Survivors have continued to be found alive under the rubble since the earthquake. A couple and their 12-year-old child were rescued in Hatay on Saturday, 296 hours after the quake, Anadolu reported. The child later died.

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

“Fundamentally, our bodies can be resilient, but a lot depends on luck,” Kelman said.

There is a “hierarchy” of needs in these survival situations, he said. “The general rule of thumb is three minutes without oxygen, three days without water, three weeks without food,” he said, which means “there has to be space for survival…enough oxygen “.

Hatay was one of the Turkish provinces hardest hit by the February 6 earthquake. At least 80% of its buildings will have to be rebuilt after being demolished, the province’s mayor, Lutfu Savas, said on Sunday.

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

Turkey’s latest death toll now stands at 40,689 after 47 more deaths were reported, with the collective number in Turkey and Syria reaching at least 46,530, Anadolu added.