The Turkey-Syria earthquake has impacted areas with sub-zero temperatures, which is especially difficult for those affected during the middle of winter. The earthquake caused significant damage on the Turkish side, stretching from the east to the south. The eastern part of Malatya, where a reporter visited on the night of the 8th, is situated in a mountainous region, making rescue operations challenging. The refugees are huddled in tents without heat sources, shivering from the cold.
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| Rescue workers continue to rescue a collapsed building in subzero temperatures in Malatya, central Turkey, on February 9, 2023 |
Malatya has an estimated population of 400,000. After the earthquake struck in the early hours of the 6th, snow began to fall and accumulated over the next two days. On the night of the 8th, when the reporter arrived, the weather was clear but the temperature was frigid minus 8 degrees Celsius. Even during the day, the cold is unbearable
Three individuals are trapped inside a crumbling building. A detection device picked up a person's body temperature, but the rescue efforts have not made much progress. Erdem Koch, a 38-year-old relief volunteer, sighed at the sight in central Malatya. Delays in deploying heavy equipment due to snow and other obstacles have resulted in the search beginning only on the evening of the 8th. Erdem said, "This won't save lives." It is widely known that the chances of finding missing persons alive rapidly decrease in the first 72 hours after an earthquake, and the sub-zero temperatures only hasten the loss of body heat for any survivors. At the rescue site, a young boy prayed for success as he awaited news of his rescued relatives.
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| Refugees warm themselves by a bonfire in subzero temperatures in Malatya, eastern Turkey, on February 9, 2023. |
A short distance away, a seven-story high-rise building had also crumbled, and the rescue operations are ongoing. However, the rescue workers reported that they couldn't confirm if the missing person, an 18-year-old woman from Van in eastern Turkey, was alive. She had visited her friend in the building the day before the earthquake. Her 46-year-old uncle, Kasum Barkir, who had traveled from Wang, said, "I understand the difficult conditions, but I implore you to keep searching until there's no hope left."
Many citizens whose homes were destroyed by the earthquake, and those who are afraid of aftershocks, are now residing in evacuation centers. Tents have been erected in parks and other locations, but only a few have stoves, leaving the evacuees to endure the cold
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| Refugees rest in a meeting place with a stove in Malatya, eastern Turkey, on February 9, 2023 |
Some of the meeting halls have stoves, but there are no beds, so people have to sleep in chairs. "This chair is now my home," said Muharrem Karakash, a 46-year-old restaurant worker, expressing his helplessness. His 50-year-old house had collapsed in the earthquake, and he fled with just the clothes on his back, seeking refuge in a shelter. However, he found the tent too cold and has been sleeping in the meeting hall for three days. "I've lost everything - my house, my furniture, and now even my privacy," he said, his frustration directed towards the government. "The government, which failed to take earthquake preventive measures, must at least provide compensation," he added, his voice becoming stronger.
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