Turkish soldiers pull little girl alive from rubble after earthquake

By Baris Gundogan

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish soldiers on Wednesday pulled a little girl alive from the rubbles of a collapsed building in Türkiye's southern Kahramanmaras province, the National Defense Ministry said in a statement, as search and rescue efforts after quakes hit southern Türkiye continue uninterruptedly.

The ministry shared images of Beyza's rescue operation on its social media account with a message, "Together We Are Strong."

The magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes, centered in Kahramanmaras, struck 10 provinces and affected more than 13 million people.

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.

Over 8,500 people have been killed and more than 49,000 others injured in the quakes, according to the national disaster agency. Emergency was declared in the affected regions and seven days of national mourning is being observed.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who inspected relief efforts in Kahramanmaras on Wednesday, said all resources have been mobilized and the state is working with all it means to help the affected people.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz