A mother and her three young children were pulled from the rubble of a building flattened by a massive earthquake in the western Turkish city of Izmir, which has so far left at least 39 people dead.
Seher Pernicek, a 38-year-old mother of four, had been trapped for nearly 18 hours by the time she was rescued early Saturday morning. Emergency teams also managed to pull three of her four children, ages 3, 7 and 10 year-old twins, from the debris and are currently working to rescue the fourth.
The devastating earthquake struck Turkey’s Aegean coast and north of the Greek island of Samos Friday afternoon, toppling at least 20 buildings. It was followed by hundreds of aftershocks as well as a small tsunami in the Seferihisar district as well as on the Greek island.
According to Turkish authorities, the quake registered a 6.6 magnitude while other seismology institutes put it at a 6.9.
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca in a tweet said at least 28 people were killed in Izmir, including an elderly woman who drowned in the tsunami. Two teens were also killed on Samos after being struck by a collapsing wall.
In all, at least 885 people were injured in Izmir and three other provinces, officials said. Seven remained hospitalized, three of who were in critical condition on Saturday. Another 19 people were injured on the island Samos, including a 14-year-old, who has been hospitalized.
Since Friday, authorities have rescued about 100 people, though it remains unclear how many may still be trapped in damaged buildings and debris.
Earlier on Saturday, search-and-rescue teams working on eight collapsed buildings lifted teenager Inci Okan from an apartment building. Her dog, Fistik, or Pistachio, was also rescued, according to Turkish media.
With News Wire Services
