MARAS - Ali Güzel, who lost 7 relatives with his father in his family apartment in Barış Mahallesi, said: "Those who were under the rubble froze to death and said that the state came 4 days later."

 

In the earthquakes of 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude that occurred in Pazarcık district of Maraş on February 6 and affected 10 cities, a large part of Nurhak district was destroyed, at least 300 people lost their lives and thousands were injured. While almost the whole of the district turned into a debris field, there was almost no one left in Nurhak or its affiliated neighborhoods. In the district, where shelter and heating problems have not been fully resolved, debris removal works still continue. People live under harsh conditions in the tent cities established in the district.

 

'GOVERNMENT COME AFTER 4 DAYS'

 

Reaching the body of his father, who was under the rubble 4 days after the earthquake, Ali Guzel said: "I struggled for days alone to remove the debris. I saved my aunt and nephew. Seven people in our apartment lost their lives in the wreckage. We came to help from the district center of Elbistan, but we could not come because the roads were closed. Cars were left on the road, we only got to the wreckage by pushing them. I pulled my aunt out of the wreckage, we took her to the hospital in Elbistan, but we couldn't find my brother. Three days later, we removed the rubble with the village machine and with the help of the villagers we pulled the people out of the rubble. On the fourth day, only the vehicles of the state arrived. I stopped the ambulance to take my aunt to the hospital, but we were not picked up by saying 'there are more emergencies than you'."

 

GÜZEL WAS TAKEN OUT OF RUBBLE AFTER 3 DAYS

 

Hanife Güzel, who survived the earthquake rubble two days later, said: “I went upstairs and brought something, but there was an earthquake. At that moment I was under the rubble, 3 days later they pulled me out from under the rubble. When they took me out, I was covered in blood. I came here after a few days in the hospital. If intervention had been made two or three days after the earthquake, my wife and others would have been saved."

 

'IF STATE HAD INTERVENED THE RUBBLE EARLY...'

 

Elif Güzel, who lost her father, said: “We were living on the ground floor of the house. Then the earthquake happened and we were under the rubble. They got us out of there. If state had intervened with the rubble early, they would have all been saved because the concrete was not thick and my father's location was clear. We rescued my mother three days later. My mother's voice was cut off on the second day, but we finally saved my mother."

 

LOSES FIVE CHILDREN

 

Selma Çiçek, who lost her daughter, son-in-law and three grandchildren, told what happened by lamenting. Çiçek said: “The roads were closed, we couldn't go to help save them. I lost my five children there. This is not a pain that will go away.” 

 

The family accepts condolences in a small tent.

 

MA / Adnan Bilen