Spanish rescue team saves mother with 2 kids in quake-hit Türkiye

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

ISTANBUL (AA) – An emergency team from the Spanish military working in Türkiye on Friday saved a mother and her two young children from the rubble of a collapsed building.

The Spanish Military Emergency Unit “rescued a boy and a girl alive!! And they continue working to rescue the mother of the little ones," the Spanish Defense Ministry said in a tweet, sharing footage of the dramatic rescue of a boy, only 2 years old, and his sister, just 6.

A few hours later, the ministry shared more good news from the team, working in quake-struck Gaziantep: "They have also saved the mother of the two little ones!"

Separately, Spanish Armed Forces marines disembarked vehicles with medical and humanitarian aid at the Atakas port in Hatay, Türkiye’s southernmost province, hit hard by the quake.

The Spanish army also deployed at Incirlik air base in Adana, organizing the unloading and distribution of aid, the ministry said, and added: "We stand with Türkiye."

Some 19,400 people were killed and over 77,700 others injured by two strong earthquakes that jolted southern Türkiye on Monday, according to the latest official figures.

The magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes, centered in the Kahramanmaras province, affected more than 13 million people across 10 provinces, also including Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, and Sanliurfa.

Several countries in the region, including Syria and Lebanon, also felt the strong tremors that struck Türkiye in the space of fewer than 10 hours.