Italy's premier hails 'message of hope' in Türkiye from rescue of 2-year-old after 122 hours under rubble

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

ISTANBUL (AA) - Italy's prime minister on Saturday hailed the rescue of a 2-year-old after 122 hours under rubble in Türkiye as a "message of hope.”

"Search and rescue operations continue unabated in Turkey and Syria, hit by the earthquake. After 122 hours under the rubble, a 2-year-old girl was saved in the province of Hatay," Giorgia Meloni said on Twitter, referring to Türkiye's southernmost province, hard hit by twin quakes on Monday.

"A message of hope in this moment of great difficulty," she added.

Some 22,300 people were killed and over 80,000 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.