The search for survivors at ground zero of Turkey’s devastating earthquake today has turned into a hunt for bodies.
Web witnessed near-apocalyptic scenes at a site where more than half a dozen ten-story apartment blocks had collapsed, despite being built less than 20 years ago.
Families huddled around open fires as they watched grimly as rescue teams dug into 40-foot-high piles of crushed concrete and twisted metal that were once their homes.
At least six excavators and a heavy crane lifted debris and loaded it onto a fleet of waiting trucks, only stopping when another body was discovered.
The trucks then carried away the piles of debris for dumping on a wasteland less than a mile away.
The search for survivors at ground zero of Turkey’s devastating earthquake today has turned into a hunt for bodies
Police officers and soldiers with assault rifles guarded the scene of the devastation next to a gas station
Police and soldiers with assault rifles guarded the scene of the devastation next to a gas station next to a dual carriageway in the old town of Kahramanmaras in eastern Turkey.
Local residents believe the 7.8 magnitude quake hit the area with much greater severity than elsewhere because it is on a geological fault line.
Elsewhere in Turkey, there were glimmers of hope when a 12-year-old boy named Kaan was rescued in Hatay’s Antakya district after being trapped for 182 hours.
Elsewhere in Hatay province, a son was seen screaming in relief as his mother was lifted from her collapsed home about 177 hours after the earthquake.
But in the remains of the apartments Web visited on Haydar Aliev Boulevard in Kahramanmaras, there were no such scenes of jubilation.
Instead, rescuers were seen carrying a number of bodies in black sacks into the surrounding streets as the death toll in Turkey and Syria topped 36,000.
Volunteer rescuer Kutalmis Kara, 32, said: “More than half of the people in this area have died. These were their homes and now they are their graves.
‘It’s terrible. We now have no hope of finding anyone alive. It’s just looking for the bodies that we know are there.
At least six excavators and a heavy crane lifted debris and loaded it onto a fleet of waiting trucks
Several cars were also crushed by debris along with play equipment, including swings
Rescue teams dug into 40-foot-high piles of crushed concrete and twisted metal that were once houses
A 12-year-old child is rescued by workers from the rubble of a collapsed building in Hatay’s Antakya district
An aerial view of collapsed buildings as search and rescue efforts continue after magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes struck several provinces of Turkey
“Some of the diggers are damaging bodies. It’s awful – but there’s no other way to move the debris.”
Pointing to the remains of a block, he said: “We think there are still 20 people down there. We’ve pulled out eight bodies so far.
“We found the bodies of a mother hugging her two girls and the body of the father cradling the little baby in his arms.
“They were all in the same room of their house. It just crashes around them and they can’t get out.
“I found a baby about a year old myself. It’s heartbreaking to see. Another 32 people somehow got out alive before the building collapsed.
“They have now lost their homes and have been left with nothing. One of them was later killed by Syrian looters.”
Another resident, Gokhan Genj, who lost both parents in the disaster, said: “I was in the basement, so I lived.
“My father was found yesterday and my mother’s body was discovered today. I can’t believe they left.
“I had a dream that this earthquake would happen about a month ago. I told my family about this and I wanted to warn the world and now it’s happened.”
Personal belongings such as children’s toys and clothing, smashed dishes and household appliances were found in the piles of debris at the scene.
Several cars were also wrecked by debris along with play equipment such as swings and a slide in a plaza between the apartments.
Families watching the demolition work were cared for by charity workers
Sports center in Kahramanmara with people unloading wood for tents
Surrounding tower blocks that remained standing were left with gaping holes where chunks of masonry had fallen to the ground.
Curtains billowed out of apartments where window frames had been shaken out and ceilings had collapsed in some.
Demolition workers who uncovered bodies went through a grim ritual of covering the remains with old blankets salvaged from the rubble so they could be extricated with some privacy.
Web found several groups of residents warming themselves behind open fires, burning scavenged bits of wood and debris in near-freezing temperatures.
Smoke from the fires mixed with concrete dust kicked up by the cold winds from the rubble, creating a smog-like haze that caused some people to cough and suffocate.
Families watching the demolition work were supported by charity workers who distributed minced lamb buns, cups of tea and bottled water.
A man speaking to Web via Google Translate typed a message on his phone and said: “My whole family is dead.”
A resident named Ali added: “These places were about 20 years old. They should have been built to withstand earthquakes.
“Instead, they just collapsed like decks of cards because the force of the earthquake was too strong. So many people have died.’
Another woman said through an interpreter, “We lost everything. Our home is gone.”
Survivors in Kahramanmaras live in tent cities that have sprung up around the city in open fields and along roadsides.
Many are lining up to be fed by mobile kitchens set up by aid organizations and charities.
About 150 giant tents have been erected by Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) in the middle of a running track at the Atatırk Spor Merkezi sports stadium in the city.
Web found children playing happily in front of their tents, seemingly regarding their stay as an adventure
Piles of shoes and clothing were left at the stadium for homeless survivors to search after fleeing for their lives with only the clothes they were wearing at the time of the earthquake.
Trucks were seen delivering sacks of firewood to be burned on stoves with chimneys in each of the tents.
Streets in and out of town were lined with houses, farm buildings, and businesses that had collapsed.
Faruk Kisa, from Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, was staying with his mother and disabled brother at their home in nearby Kapicam when the earthquake struck
He said: “Our house is a bit broken but we’re lucky. About 25 houses here are completely broken. Some are new and some are old.
“I wanted to go home, but then the earthquake came and I have to stay to take care of my mother and brother.”