In Turkey and Syria, the hope of saving survivors of Monday’s violent earthquake is diminishing hour by hour. The chances of survival are dwindling three days after the tragedy which has already claimed more than 17,500 lives. Near the epicenter, the town of Kahramanmaras, in eastern Turkey, was heavily affected.
With our special correspondents in Kahramanmaras, Guilhem Delteil And Jad El Khoury
No neighborhood seems to have been spared. Everywhere buildings collapsed, others cracked on all sides. Thick black smoke escapes in several places from the rubble of buildings.
In the center, at an intersection where several buildings have collapsed, Turkish and Azerbaijani teams are digging through the debris. Over a distance of just 200 meters, eleven diggers are at work this Thursday. And more than three days after the earthquake, seven bodies – including children – were pulled out of the rubble at the end of the morning.
chaos reigns
Rescuers have photos of the missing people to try to identify the bodies. And when the bags containing the remains were deposited outside the search area, the relatives of the victims who anxiously watch the progress of the operations, feel devastated.
Throughout the city, sirens mingle with the noise of diggers and generators, ambulances, but also mortuary vehicles. But they are having a hard time getting through. Most of the roads are jammed with cars parked on the sides. The police try to bring some order, but without much success. A great chaos reigns in Kahramanmaras.
► To read also: Report – Earthquakes in Turkey: in Antioch, resignation takes precedence over anger