Earthquake: Mother, Children Rescued In Turkey After 9 Days

A mother and two children rescued in Antakya were in “reasonable condition” despite spending nine days under the rubble, according to rescuers.

Rescuer Mehmet Eryilmaz said the woman – identified as Ela – asked what day it was when she was pulled from the wreckage.

“First, I held her hand,” Eryilmaz told Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency about reaching her in the rubble. “We talked, chatted and calmed [her] down. After that, we continued our work … We are very happy; it’s the fifth life we saved.”

Eryilmaz, who is a member of a team trained to perform mine rescues, added: “She asked for water in the first place but we did not give anything before the medical teams intervened. She asked ‘What day are we on?’”

Health worker Ali Parlas, who treated Ela and her son and daughter, said the three were dehydrated but in reasonable condition.