“Merve! Irem! Merve! Irem,” Mustafa Ozturk, a rescue worker, is shouting. Everyone in the area has been asked to maintain silence. The crew is searching for two sisters who, according to other survivors, are still alive under mountains of wreckage.
They use sensitive equipment to listen for a reaction. Everyone is standing still in anticipation.
Then, a breakthrough occurred. “Irem, my dear, I am close to you, you hear me, yes?” Mustafa says.
Although those of us who are observing cannot hear it, it is now evident that she is responding. A small number of the girls’ friends wait with us in silence.
“You are great! Now, keep your cool and respond to me. Yes, that is Merve. Merve sweetheart, simply answer my queries,” he claims.
Merve, 24 years old, and Irem, 19 years old, were buried in the wreckage of their five-story apartment building in Antakya, southern Turkey, which was destroyed by the earthquake. Two days had passed, but for them, it felt like weeks.
“Today is Wednesday. No! You were not confined for fourteen days. Please allow five minutes. You will leave.”
Two sisters rescued from rubble
Mustafa is aware that the process will take hours, but he warns us, “If they lose hope, they may not live.”
Merve and Irem begin to laugh and joke together. Mustafa continues, with a broad grin on his face, “If they had space, they would certainly dance.”
According to the rescuers’ calculations, it will take 2 meters (6.6 feet) to reach the sisters, but the rescue team’s commander, Hasan Binay, adds that building a tunnel through the concrete is an extremely delicate job. A single error could result in a disaster.
To prevent the building from collapsing as excavating begins, a bulldozer is summoned to raise and support the thick concrete.
“Girls, soon we will give you blankets,” Mustafa informs his sisters. “No, you need not be concerned about us. We are neither cold nor fatigued.”
Mustafa states that Merve is concerned about the rescuers’ predicament. It is 20:30 local time and really cold outside. This region has seen one of the coldest winters residents can recall.
The rescuers begin digging and throwing away the debris with their bare hands.
However, after a couple of hours, the ground suddenly begins to shake beneath our feet. This is a powerful aftershock. We must cease operations and evacuate the damaged structure.
“There is a harsh truth present here. The safety of our crew takes precedence “Hasan explains.
Mustafa and three other rescuers return to the area where they were digging after thirty minutes.
“Don’t be afraid. Believe me, we won’t abandon you here. I will take you out, and you will treat us to lunch “Mustafa yells. The girls believed they had been abandoned to die.
Now that it is midnight, the digging has resumed. The team has not slept in days. We gathered around a tiny fire outside the structure.
There is an occasional yell of “sessizlik,” which means silence. The light fades out; there is now absolute darkness. They have drilled a small hole in the concrete to determine whether or not the girls can see the light from Mustafa’s flashlight.
“Merve! Irem! Do you perceive the truth? OK! Perfect! I am currently sending a little camera down. Once you see it, let me know, and I’ll instruct you on what to do.”
It is an occasion of joy for everyone. Hasan joins his colleagues to view the females on the night vision camera’s attached little screen. They can view Irem and Merve.
“You are gorgeous. Do not move excessively. Irem moves the camera so that we may see Merve more clearly.”
On the screen, Irem may be seen smiling. Luckily there is enough space for them between the concrete confining them.
Faces are awash with relief. The girls appear healthy, and Irem has enough space to escape if the hole is widened.
Almost immediately, however, the team appears apprehensive. Merve has informed them that she has begun to feel cold and that something is pressing down on her feet.
The physicians were concerned: “Do Merve’s feet have gangrene? Or is this the initial manifestation of hypothermia?”
It is about 05:00 right now. The tunnel is big enough for the slimmest team member to crawl down. The savior was able to reach and touch Irem’s hand for a few moments.
Irem informs the rescuers, “Our mother’s body has begun to stink, and we can’t breathe properly.” The girls have been beside their mother’s corpse for days.
It is shocking. How terrible that there are times in life when you do not want your mother by your side, we pondered.
Hasan asks one of Merve’s pals – who is still waiting, tense, and silent – to show them the photo of the girls she has. They are attempting to estimate the hole’s required breadth. The two girls are enjoying a wedding while wearing party dresses and smiling.
“Perfect! They can be brought out.” The medical team prepares thermal blankets and stretchers for the patient. Everyone is enthusiastic. At 06:30, Irem arrives first. She is simultaneously crying and smiling.
“God bless you. Please also bring Merve out. Thank you “She begs the rescuers for help. “Merve will be next. I promise, “Hasan tells her.
However, bringing Merve out requires an additional anxious half-hour. They must extricate her feet from the concrete without causing her any injury. The operation was fruitful.
As soon as Merve exits, everyone begins to applaud and cheer. Merve’s screams of pain are followed by the question, “Am I still alive?”
“You are dear,” Mustafa responds with a smile.
The friends who have been present all night begin to cry and shout. “Merve and Irem! We are present. Don’t be afraid.” The sisters were transported to a field hospital using ambulances.
Following this happy moment is a cold one. The rescuers request silence once more. This is the final invitation.
“Those who hear me, please respond. If you are unable to reply, try touching the ground.”
Hasan repeats pleadingly from several angles. Then, tragically, he sprays red paint on the concrete and writes codes to prevent other rescue teams from searching the structure.
“Rescuing a person is an uplifting experience, but we wish there were no deaths.” I can see the melancholy on his face.
Will you join Merve and Irem for lunch? I ask. He smiles: “I hope we can one day. But what matters most is that they are presently alive and in good care.”
