Istanbul, Turkey
CNN
—
Turkey has ended most search and rescue The country’s disaster management agency said it was almost two weeks after a major earthquake killed tens of thousands of people.
Agency chief Yunus Sezer said search and rescue efforts were still underway at 40 buildings in the two provinces of Kahramanmaraş and Hatay, according to state news agency Anadolu.
Survivors have continued to be found under the rubble since the quake struck. On Saturday, a couple and their 12-year-old child were rescued in Hatay, 296 hours after the quake, Anadolu reported. The child later died.
In pictures: Deadly earthquakes hit Turkey and Syria
Ilan Kelman, professor of disaster and health at University College London, told CNN that, while there has been precedent of people surviving days after previous earthquakes, “it is unusual often”.
“Basically, our bodies can be tough, but it’s largely down to luck,” says Kelman.
There is a “hierarchy” of needs in these survival situations, he said. “The rule of thumb is three minutes without oxygen, three days without water, three weeks without food,” he says, meaning “there must be a viable space…enough oxygen.”
Hatay is one of Turkey’s worst-affected provinces after the February 6 earthquake. The province’s mayor Lutfu Savas said at least 80% of buildings would need to be rebuilt after being demolished.
“We need more tents urgently. It will be cold for another month. People are scared to stay indoors, 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 is now 40,689 after 47 more deaths were reported, Anadolu added, with the total number of deaths across Turkey and Syria rising to at least 46,530.
