Bosnian rescuers save 8 people in quake-hit Türkiye

By Alma Dekovic

HATAY, Türkiye (AA) - So far, eight people have been saved by rescuers from Bosnia and Herzegovina in the earthquake-hit areas of Türkiye said a volunteer.

The rescue operation after a five-story building collapsed in Iskenderun, in the southern province of Hatay, took place even at the 102nd hour after the first quake struck.

Volunteer and translator Kenan Ibrisimovic said that their team consisting of 20 people, has been trying to save as many lives as possible.

"We have been here since 5 o'clock this morning. We have rescued six people. During their rescue, we discovered that there are two more people under the rubble and we are currently working on getting them out as well," said Ibrisimovic.

The abovementioned two people were rescued shortly after.

According to Ibrisimovic, the cities in southern Türkiye have suffered massive destruction.

"The situation on the ground is very bad. The cities are totally damaged. Buildings, which have not been demolished, they are certainly damaged and are not suitable for living in. It is a very bad situation," said Kenan Ibrisimovic.

The team from Bosnia's capital Sarajevo also saved a 70-year-old man from under the ruins.

"This morning, we split into two groups of 10 people each because the second group had to go to another location, where cases of people alive under the rubble were reported," said Ibrisimovic.

The rescued persons were transported to the hospital due to the injuries.
Western Balkan countries of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia, Kosovo, and Croatia have sent search and rescue teams and launched aid campaigns for earthquake victims in Türkiye.

In its extraordinary session, the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina approved €500,000 ($534,720) in aid for Türkiye "to repair the damage" caused by the earthquakes.

Citizens in Bosnia and Herzegovina also donated in large numbers to a campaign launched by the charity association Pomozi.ba.

At least 18,991 people were killed and 75,523 others injured by two strong earthquakes that jolted southern Türkiye on Monday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday.

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, felt the strong tremors that struck Türkiye in the space of fewer than 10 hours.

*Writing by Talha Ozturk in Serbia