Turkey earthquake: 3-year-old miraculously rescued from rubble after 65-hours

On Monday, November 2, rescue workers in Izmir, Turkey rescued three-year-old Elif Perincek over a day after her mother and siblings had been rescued. The child survived around 65 hours of being entombed under the rubble of what was once the apartment building the family lived in. The miraculous rescue came hours after a 14-year-old survivor was found 58 hours since the disaster struck on Friday, October 30. Rescue operations continue in the province close to the epicentre of the quake.

Seher Dereli Perincek was rescued along with her three children, 10-year-old twins Ezel and Elzem, and seven-year-old Umut. The mother and children were rescued around 23 hours after being buried under their apartment building. While all four were alive at the time of their rescue, Umut later passed away due to his injuries. Rescuers were told that the family's youngest member still remained under the rubble.

The three-year-old girl survived under piles of debris for around 65-hours. Elif became the 106^th person to be rescued since the quake. The child was successfully removed from the site of the rescue and taken to a first-aid tent where she received medical attention. It is unclear if she had been reunited with her family.

Photographs of the rescue showed the child's small hand holding onto the thumb of firefighter Muammer Celik. Speaking about the rescue, the emergency worker recalled how Elif grabbed his thumb after being removed from the rubble. He told the Turkish news agency, Anadolu, that the child held onto his thumb until they reached the first-aid tent.

Around seven hours before Elif's rescue, 14-year-old Idil Sirin was found alive trapped under debris. After being treated at a first-aid tent, the teen was taken to a hospital for further medical assistance. The teen survivor who was buried for around 58 hours was the 105^th rescued person.

The quake that shook Turkey and Greece had a magnitude of 7 according to US Geological Survey, while Istanbul's Kandilli Institute said it was 6.9 and Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) measured it at 6.6. In the aftermath, at least 20 buildings collapsed in Izmir. A tsunami hit the coastline, flooding Izmir City. Rescue workers continue to work tirelessly as the death toll in Turkey has passed 80 today.