Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Residents struggle to flee quake-hit Turkish city of Gaziantep

Residents struggle to flee quake-hit Turkish city of Gaziantep

People who are stuck in the province take refuge in shopping malls, stadiums, mosques and community centres.


After a series of earthquakes and aftershocks in Turkey and Syria, many tried to flee the devastated city of Gaziantep, located about 33km (20 miles) from the epicentre.

With the airport and many roads outside the city blocked, those who were unable to leave took refuge on Tuesday in shopping malls, stadiums, mosques and community centres.

“When I thought of leaving the city, it was already too late,” 25-year-old Yunus Koser told Al Jazeera. Koser, who took shelter in Sih Fetullah square with his mother and brother, was working a night shift in the Ibrahimli neighbourhood – one of the city’s most affected areas – when the first earthquake hit early on Monday.

He said he immediately ran home through the chaos that had overtaken the streets, only to find that his house’s walls were damaged. When the second earthquake hit, Koser feared that his home was no longer safe.

“So, we preferred to camp in the open air, with dozens of other families,” he said.

“Sitting next to each other, around a fire, makes the situation slightly more bearable, more humane.”

The city has become a ghost town following the disaster


A day after the earthquakes shook southeastern Turkey and northwestern Syria, killing thousands, rescue operations were under way.

The death toll surpassed 7,000 late on Tuesday and is expected to continue to rise. Many in need are still isolated due to frigid temperatures and blocked roads, preventing rescue teams from reaching the affected areas.




‘As far as possible’


Mariia Honcharuk, 24, a Ukrainian refugee living in Gaziantep, said that she was still trying to leave the city.

“We are trying to go as far as possible until the situation calms down,” she said.

On Monday, Honcharuk quickly packed a few clothes in a bag and hopped on the first bus to Antalya, but the bus station was full of people trying to escape the city.

When she finally managed to get a ticket, she got stuck on the road to Adana. “We had to take another road because the main one was blocked, so it took much more time than usual,” Honcharuk said.

“Then, we were just waiting in a traffic jam the whole night and morning in Nurdagi [the epicentre of the earthquake], and we had to find an alternative way south.”

Yahaya Hassan Labaran, a Nigerian civil engineering PhD student at Gaziantep University, said that foreign students living alone have been panic-struck by the disaster.

“When the earthquake happened, they told us to leave our dormitory immediately, without knowing if we would go back,” Labaran said, adding that being stuck in a temporary shelter with hundreds of other people, with limited food and water, was emotionally draining.


“I even left my passport in the building. I’ve been trying to recollect it, because I want to reach my home country, but security won’t let me inside. I just want to go back home, I have never seen a disaster like this.”

Experts feard that Monday’s earthquakes could compound the loss of the region’s cultural legacy – Turkey’s government has said more than 5,600 buildings in Turkey have been destroyed. On Tuesday, UNESCO warned that several World Heritage Sites, identified by the United Nations agency for their cultural, historical, scientific and other forms of significance, might have been damaged.

After the first earthquake, Emad al-Mustafa jumped in his car with his wife and four children. Although his house, located near Sanko Park, was not damaged by the quake, he no longer believed it is safe to be there.

“When we realised there was no water, no electricity, no safety in our building, we decided to go,” al-Mustafa said by telephone as he travelled to Eskisehir, a city far away from the damaged areas. “But I wish I hadn’t taken that car journey. What we saw along the way was just rubbles and complete devastation, like an apocalypse movie.”

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Druzhba Pipeline Incident Sparks Geopolitical Tensions
Cost of Opposition Leader Péter Magyar's Economic Plan Revealed
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
×