Bosnian war-time nurse joins Türkiye earthquake rescue efforts

By Riyaz ul Khaliq and Omer Sercan Karkus

KAHRAMANMARAS, Türkiye (AA) – Türkiye is undergoing a major tragedy as millions of people were affected in a "matter of minutes" following two strong earthquakes last week, said a medical nurse who participated in the Bosnian war.

“This is a big tragedy in a short time,” Emina, who served as a medical nurse during the Bosnian War between 1992 and 1995, told Anadolu giving only her first name.

Like Emina from Bosnia and Herzegovina, more than 9,300 international search and rescue personnel from around 70 countries, have joined the post-quake operation in Türkiye.

The Bosnian war nurse said the earthquake affected people need help, both physical as well as psychological.

In the devastated city center of Kahramanmaras, search teams are busy removing debris. Emina is tending to a rescue worker.

The volunteer from Istanbul-based Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) was being treated for “strained” eyes, caused by long hours of rescue work and dust from the debris spread all around.

“The volunteers must keep in mind that search and rescue operations are not carried in a rush… safety of volunteers is paramount and they need to wear proper protective gear, shoes, eyewear, caps,” Emina told Anadolu through an interpreter.

Emina is part of a 10-member team from Bosnia’s Brcko district participating in the ongoing search, rescue and relief operations after two strong magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes, centered in the Kahramanmaras province, caused 29,605 deaths.

The first earthquake hit Türkiye at around 4.17 a.m. last Monday (0117GMT) and the second earthquake followed nine hours later causing widespread death and destruction in at least 10 southern provinces of the country.

Thousands of people have been evacuated from quake-hit regions while more than 233,000 search and rescue personnel are currently working in the field, according to the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD).

- Safe environment needed for workers

Camped inside the courtyard of a local mosque, a group of IHH volunteers led by Ahmet Aydan Beka are working hard to locate survivors from a six-story building.

“We rescued 80 people alive across Kahramanmaras but, unfortunately, we also recovered a lot of those who died in the earthquakes,” Beka told Anadolu.

While his team is racing against time as families of trapped people “do not want” them to stop, there is sudden hue and cry around and a rush of people.

A nearby tall building which is damaged but still standing “is shaking.” And people are running for safety but the roads are blocked.

“This is a big risk,” said Slavisa, leader of Bosnian team who works along with the IHH volunteers.

The volunteers around are heard talking that such damaged buildings should be razed to the ground.

“Safer spaces for volunteers during such situations make their work productive,” the Bosnian team leader told Anadolu.

Beka, a resident of Türkiye’s central Kayseri province, and his other colleague were trained for disaster responses by Slavisa several months ago in Bosnia.

Slavisa and his team work for Bosnia’s Department of Public Safety.

“What we saw on television (about Feb. 6 earthquake) back home is completely different from what we are seeing here on ground,” Slavisa said.

“We have not seen anything like this in recent history,” he added.

- Unrelenting efforts

One of the first responders to earthquake-hit Kahramanmaras, Beka said the IHH team of 250 personnel include volunteers from eight provinces including Kayseri.

His team has worked in shifts since last Monday.

“Families, relatives, friends of those trapped inside the building have given us support yet they don’t want us to stop search operations,” Beka said.

“Sometimes there is an emotional outburst but we understand such situations and we have focused on our primary job -- to look for trapped people who are still breathing.”

A group of young doctors standing nearby told Anadolu that they are waiting for news about their loved ones who are trapped under the debris.

“My father and brother are trapped,” said one of the doctors.

Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last Friday that the country is facing one of the biggest disasters in its modern history.

Condolences have poured in from around the world expressing solidarity with Türkiye, with many countries sending rescue teams and aid.​​​​​​​