7 months ago
A British takeaway leader caught up successful nan Turkey earthquake is desperately searching for survivors arsenic he says galore "children are dead".
Relief worker Atiqur Rahman, proprietor of Yahya's Indian Grill successful Stoke-on-Trent, was staying astatine Diplomatic Office for Turkey arsenic portion of his activity for kindness Global Relief Trust erstwhile it hit.
The decease toll has now surged to complete 2,000 group successful Turkey and Syria aft nan 7.8-magnitude quake struck astatine 4.20am adjacent Gaziantep successful nan early hours of Monday
Atiqur managed to escape, but 1 of his colleagues is incapable to find his boy who studies successful nan area. At nan clip of writing, location was nary electricity, net aliases mobile telephone service.
Atiqur, who is searching done nan rubble for survivors, has spoken of group dormant successful nan thoroughfare and others freezing successful nan snowfall and rainfall arsenic temperatures dip to minus four.
Atiqur, 37, from Burslem, has crossed nan separator from Syria and is presently successful nan metropolis of Antakya, Turkey.
He said: "I was present to do deployment work, reports Stoke-on-Trent Live.
Image:
Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)"We are trying to do what we can. It was 20 past 4 - nan full building shook. We managed to flight from nan premises. One successful 3 buildings person been wholly knocked down.
"We're talking astatine slightest 500 group dormant only here. The harm present is worse than it was successful Syria. My workfellow has a boy who studies here.
"We judge he's okay but location is nary net and nan telephone lines are down. The only measurement I tin picture it is 'armageddon'. There are group stuck, screaming; children dead.
"There are group dormant successful nan streets. There is nary energy aliases gas. People are building fires connected thoroughfare corners. It's freezing here. They're sleeping successful autobus shelters aliases nether trees - anyplace distant from buildings. It's truthful slow searching, trying to get to people.
Image:
Syria Civil Defense/UPI/REX/Shutterstock)"Trucks person travel and there's immoderate constabulary and military. It's obscurity adjacent what's needed. This is nan worst point I've ever seen, but this is what we do and what I'm trained for.
"I ne'er expected it to beryllium this bad. I've been successful situations wherever cities person been bombed, but thing compares to this. This is full destruction. We are talking a organization of 4,000 people. Every azygous personification is connected nan streets now."
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Contributed)Atiqur is encouraging group to donate to thief alleviation efforts.
He said: "I'd opportunity to group to unfastened their hearts and donate to alleviation charities, because they're going to request it. There are nutrient issues and nary toilet facilities. There are nary blankets and it's freezing.
"People are retired successful nan streets successful their pyjamas. It happened erstwhile everyone was sleeping. A batch of group were crushed and didn't negociate to escape. Some buildings person gone sideways and landed connected nan buildings adjacent door."
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