PodcastAnother toddler clings to life under rubble for 91 hours following İzmir quake
A four-year-old girl named Ayda Gezgin was rescued from the rubble 91 hours after a devastating earthquake hit the Aegean province of İzmir on Oct. 30. The child was the 107th person to be rescued alive from the ruins following "miracle Elif" who was pulled out some 65 hours after the quake.
Duvar English
A four-year-old named Ayda Gezgin was rescued from the rubble some 91 hours after a devastating earthquake hit the Aegean province of İzmir on Oct. 30.
Applause erupted on the site of the collapsed apartment building early on Nov. 3 as the child was pulled out.
Gezgin became the 107th person to be rescued from ruins, following three-year-old Elif Perinçek who was rescued 65 hours after the quake and earning the name "miracle Elif."
While rescue workers delivered an IV, thermal blanket and stretcher to the child under the rubble, she was transported to the hospital immediately after she was pulled out.
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca shared a video of the child in the ambulance, where she's seen speaking with a rescue worker, asking for the traditional Turkish yoghurt drink ayran.
"Ayda isn't hurting anywhere. She wants meatballs and ayran," Koca tweeted.
Ayda’nın acıyan bir yeri yok. Köfte ve ayran istiyor. pic.twitter.com/nhMV2SPlnw
— Dr. Fahrettin Koca (@drfahrettinkoca) November 3, 2020
Meanwhile, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay shared a close-up photo of the girl despite many social media users' pleas to avoid broadcasting such a traumatic moment.
91 saattir durmadan, usanmadan, ilk andaki gayretleriyle çalışan arama kurtarma ekiplerimiz umutları sevince dönüştürmeye devam ediyor.
— Fuat Oktay (@fuatoktay) November 3, 2020
4 yaşındaki güzeller güzeli Ayda hayata tutundu. Hikmetinden sual olunmaz, şükürler olsun. pic.twitter.com/MrQB5S65ZO
Meanwhile, a group of miners from the western province of Soma who have been on a march to the capital to demand severance pay for the mining disaster of 2014 rerouted to join rescue efforts in İzmir, the BBC's Turkish service reported.
"The emergency in İzmir takes priority over our own struggle," said one worker.
Meanwhile, the death toll from the devastating earthquake has reached 102, authorities said on Nov. 3. According to the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), 143 victims are still under treatment, while 883 more have been discharged from hospitals. The agency said that rescuers were still combing five buildings in the search effort.
Turkey rejoices miraculous rescue of toddler 65 hours after İzmir quake