Istanbul, Turkey
CNN
—
Turkey has ended most of its search and rescue operations about two weeks after a massive earthquake killed tens of thousands of people, the country’s disaster management agency said.
Search and rescue operations are still ongoing at 40 buildings in two provinces, Kahramanmaras and Hatay, said Yunus Sezer, head of the agency, according to state-run Anadolu news agency.
Since the earthquake struck, survivors have been found alive under the rubble. Anadolu reported Saturday that a couple and their 12-year-old child were rescued in Hatay 296 hours after the quake.
Photos: Deadly earthquake hits Turkey and Syria
Ilan Kelman, professor of disasters and health at University College London, told CNN that although there is precedent for so many people surviving after previous quakes, “it’s unusual.”
“Basically, our bodies are resilient, but a lot comes down to sheer luck,” Kelman said.
He said there are “hierarchies” of needs in these survival situations. “The rule of thumb is three minutes without oxygen, three days without water, three weeks without food,” he said.
Hatay is one of the hardest-hit Turkish provinces hit by the February 6 earthquake. At least 80 percent of the demolished buildings will need to be rebuilt, provincial mayor Lutov Sabbath said on Sunday.
“We urgently need more tents. Another month of cold weather. People are afraid to stay in their homes, but they don’t want to leave animals behind, especially in cities,” he said in an interview with Turkish news channel Haberturk. Told.
Turkey’s latest death toll is now at 40,689 after 47 more deaths were reported, raising the combined total for Turkey and Syria to at least 46,530, Anadolu added.
