Quick-witted woman saves family from getting trapped under quake rubble

By Meltem Yilmaz Karakurum and Duygu Avunduk

TRABZON, Türkiye (AA) – The presence of mind of a 19-year-old woman saved her entire family from getting trapped under the rubble of their house when two deadly earthquakes struck southern Türkiye.

Umit Aslanoglu got out of her bed when her dog started barking incessantly.

Just as she felt the first tremors, she woke up her brother, mother and aunt, who all lived with her in Antakya, a district in one of the worst hit provinces Hatay.

Watching the surrounding buildings crumbling like cookies, the young woman jumped from the balcony, while helping her brother and aunt do the same. She returned to save her mother and dog at a great risk to her life as the building was swaying with the aftershocks.

"At that time, the building already fell on us. The piles of rubble hit my waist. I pushed the rubble somehow, I got up. Our only way out was jumping from the balcony," she told Anadolu.

The family managed to escape to Trabzon, a province in the north, where they are taking shelter at a relative's house.

At least 19,388 people were killed and 77,711 others injured by two strong earthquakes that jolted southern Türkiye on Monday, the country's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday.

Several countries in the region, including Syria and Lebanon, also felt the strong tremors that struck Türkiye in the space of fewer than 10 hours.

Search and rescue efforts continue in the regions with people being pulled alive from the rubble after more than 100 hours of the quakes.

The Turkish parliament on Thursday approved a three-month state of emergency to speed up aid efforts.

The country is also observing seven days of national mourning in the wake of the disaster.

Condolences have poured in from around the world expressing solidarity with Türkiye, with many countries sending rescue teams and aid.

*Writing by Seda Sevencan