Rescue workers are making a final push to find any remaining survivors of this week's earthquake in Turkey and Syria that killed nearly 21,000 people.
KAHRAMANMARAS, Turkey — Rescue workers made a final push Thursday to find survivors of theand Syria that rendered many communities unrecognizable to their inhabitants and led the Turkish president to declare it "the disaster of the century." The death toll topped 20,000.
A man who gave his name only as Ahmet out of fear of government retribution later asked the AP: "How can I go home and sleep? My brother is there. He may still be alive." Even though experts say people could survive for a week or more, the chances of finding survivors in the freezing temperatures were dimming. As emergency crews and panicked relatives dug through the rubble — and occasionally found people alive — the focus began to shift to demolishing dangerously unstable structures.
Mehmet Yilmaz, 67, watched from a distance as bulldozers and other demolition equipment began to bring down what remained of the building where six of his family members had been trapped, including four children. On the floor lay dozens of bodies wrapped in blankets or black shrouds. At least one appeared to be that of a 5- or 6-year-old.
One survivor, Ahmet Tokgoz, called for the government to evacuate people from the region. Many of those who have lost their homes found shelter in tents, stadiums and other temporary accommodation, but others have slept outdoors.
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