Recently, a newborn baby and his mother were rescued from the rubble of a building in Turkey, about 90 hours after the first earthquake struck the region.
The 10-day-old boy, named Yagiz, was discovered in the southern province of Hatay.
The heartwarming scene of the rescue was captured in a video that quickly went viral and has been widely shared on social media.
The footage shows the child being carefully removed from the wreckage during the night, bringing a glimmer of hope to the world amidst the tragedy of the earthquakes.
The rescue operation was a collaborative effort, with local authorities and search and rescue teams working tirelessly to save lives.
The Istanbul Mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, whose teams were reportedly involved in the rescue, tweeted about the miraculous event, which took place in the city of Samandag. Another video captured by Reuters showed a man being rescued from the rubble, but it is unknown if he had any connection to the newborn and mother.
The rescue of Yagiz and his mother has provided a glimmer of hope amidst the rising death toll from the earthquakes, which has claimed over 22,000 lives so far, with most of them in Turkey.
The earthquakes have caused widespread devastation, leaving many people homeless and without access to basic services like water, fuel, and electricity.
The photos and videos of the rescue have brought some comfort and hope to the people of Turkey and the world, as they show the newborn swaddled in a thermal blanket and being taken for treatment in an ambulance, while his mother was carried away on a stretcher.
While there is no update on their health, their rescue has given people a reason to believe that hope still exists in the face of tragedy.
However, the earthquakes in Turkey have sparked criticism towards the government, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan facing accusations of failing to prepare for the disaster and questions surrounding the estimated 88 billion lira (R$25 billion) raised through an “earthquake tax.”
This fee, first imposed after a major earthquake in 1999 that killed more than 17,000 people, was supposed to be used for disaster prevention and emergency services.
The leader of Turkey’s main opposition party, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, has criticized the government for not preparing for an earthquake for 20 years, highlighting the importance of better disaster preparedness and response and investing in infrastructure to minimize the impact of natural disasters.
Despite the tragedy and criticism, stories of remarkable rescues and escapes have emerged, offering a source of hope.
For example, thousands of people have volunteered to adopt a baby girl who was born under a collapsed building in northwest Syria.
When she was rescued, the baby, named Aya, which means “miracle” in Arabic, was still connected by the umbilical cord to her mother, who died along with other family members.
The story of Aya has touched the hearts of people around the world and has brought some hope amidst the tragedy.
