'Miracle' Boy Pulled From Rubble a Day After Quake

Death toll in Turkey-Syria quake is now above 4.3K
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 7, 2023 12:00 AM CST
'Miracle' Boy Pulled From Rubble 24+ Hours After Quake
Relief supplies for earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria stand packed on Turmstrasse in Moabit, in Berlin, Germany, Monday, Feb. 6, 2023.   (Paul Zinken/dpa via AP)

More than a day after the devastating Turkey-Syria earthquake, what observers called a "miracle": A 14-year-old boy was pulled from the rubble in the Turkish city of Kahramanmaras, CNN reports. He was seen being carried by rescuers on a stretcher to an ambulance, which transported him to a hospital; his condition was not known. The death toll has passed 4,300, and is expected to continue to rise, the Guardian reports.

Freezing temperatures, blocked roads, and damaged infrastructure in the region hindered rescue efforts; those being rescued Tuesday morning had to survive outside overnight in the harsh weather following heavy snowstorms in the region. The temperature is expected to plunge even further Wednesday. Those who weren't trapped in the quake are also struggling in the freezing cold; at least 5,606 structures collapsed in Turkey, and families were seeking shelter in buses, mosques, and even under temporary tarp tents.

At least 100 aftershocks have hit the area as well. Meanwhile, governments and aid groups around the globe have rushed to provide assistance, equipment, and money to the area, the AP reports. From the US, among other things, almost 100 California firefighters and structural engineers are traveling to Turkey to help, along with specially trained dogs. This is the most powerful quake recorded in Turkey since 1939. (More Turkey-Syria earthquake stories.)

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