Rescue efforts under the rubble continued on Saturday for the sixth day after the deadly earthquake in Turkey and Syria, but some of the foreign aid organizations reportedly suspended their operations in the evening hours over security concerns.
According to the DeutcheWelle, German and Austrian rescuers paused their search efforts citing security problems, clashes between groups of people, and gunfire.
Footage published on social media had shown vigilantes and some Turkish security forces beat up alleged looters or thieves in the earthquake hit provinces.
Nonetheless, several more people of all ages were rescued throughout the day, as reported by Turkey’s state-owned news agency, Anadolu. They survived for more than 130 hours under the rubble.
Hatay'da enkaz altında kalan 57 yaşındaki kadın, depremden 136 saat sonra AFAD, Konya Büyükşehir Belediyesi İtfaiyesi ve UMKE ekiplerince kurtarıldı https://t.co/2rqh4gs4KN pic.twitter.com/XctBAcZlRe
— ANADOLU AJANSI (@anadoluajansi) February 11, 2023
Among Saturday’s rescues are at least two infants and three children between two and seven years of age.
The BBC reports that, across Turkey’s quake disaster zone, there are currently more than 260 rescued children who remain unidentified while they are being treated in hospitals. Turkish health officials were reportedly expecting that figure to rise significantly, as more areas are reached.
The magnitude 7.7 and 7.8 earthquakes, centered in the Kahramanmaras province, were felt by 13 million people across 10 provinces of Turkey and also heavily impacted neighboring Syria.
The death toll in Turkey has exceeded 22,000 victims, according to the latest official information.
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