İzmir earthquake: Another three-year-old pulled out of rubble

Photo: AA

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A three-year-old child was pulled out of the rubble alive today (November 3), after a 6.9 magnitude hit Turkey's Aegean region on October 30.

The child was rescued in the Bayraklı district of the Aegean İzmir province 91 hours after the quake.

She was the 107th survivor to be rescued, was taken to hospital for treatment. Another three-year-old was also rescued yesterday.

So far, 107 people have lost their lives in the earthquake.

The young survivor was seen to be conscious and looking at her surroundings when being transported to Ege University Hospital.

Speaking at a news conference, Environment and Urbanization Minister Murat Kurum said by all indications, the child's health is stable and good, a view echoed by the deputy health minister.

Deputy Health Minister Muhammet Guven told reporters that the child remained conscious, healthy and was able to respond. He also confirmed that she displayed no problems in her vital signs.

He added that search and rescue efforts in four buildings continue while efforts in 13 buildings have been completed in the city, which is Turkey's third largest.

Speaking to reporters following the child's rescue, rescue team member Nusret Aksoy said he had spotted her waving from the rubble.

"I saw her from the debris. She waved at me. I initially heard her scream, then called my colleagues over," he said. "I then asked her to wave her hand if she was all right, and she did."

The magnitude of the earthquake was announced as 6.6 by the AFAD, 6.9 by Boğaziçi University's Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute and 7.0 by the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

The earthquake's epicenter was 17.26 km (10.7 mi) off the Seferihisar district of İzmir at a depth of 16.54 km (10 mi).

İzmir is Turkey's third-largest city with a population of around 4.37 million.

Turkey is among the world's most seismically active zones, and has suffered devastating earthquakes in the past, including the 7.4 Marmara quake of 1999. (AS/VK)