Relatives of a County Durham family trapped beneath rubble in Turkey have been found dead despite desperate efforts to reach them, it has been confirmed.
Suleyman and Fuat Yildirim, who live in Stanley, flew to their former home in Hatay on Sunday following last week’s catastrophic earthquakes.
They were told voices, believed to be Suleyman’s niece’s family, could be heard beneath a collapsed building and hoped to get there in time to rescue them.
But on Wednesday lunchtime all four were confirmed dead and preparations were made for immediate funerals.
Read more: Men who lost 18 family members in Turkey on mercy mission to find remaining survivors
Suleyman’s wife, Gemma, who is at home with their daughters, said: “It is horrendous.
“He went to see his niece yesterday and she was begging them to see if they could just bring one of them out alive.
“The plan had been to get them out today, but it has been too long and people cannot survive like that. We are on day nine now. It is just horrific.
“They have spoken to Spanish rescuers who were looking for anyone still alive but they are all being pulled out now. The machinery is going in.”
Over 41,000 have now died and hundreds of thousands of people were left homeless after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake, with a second measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale struck south-eastern Turkey and northern Syria in the early hours of last Monday morning.
A state of emergency has been imposed with reports of looting as people became more desperate amid cold wintry winter conditions with little or no sanitation.
Suleyman, 39, who runs his own construction company, has told Gemma the death toll for their wider family is now over 30.
He travelled with his nephews, Fuat, 35, and Ozcan, 36, who lives in York, from Edinburgh on Sunday afternoon with emergency supplies.
Gemma said: “It is never-ending. They are sleeping in a car port next to his brother’s house. There are 13 of them there.
“There is food and water there through kitchens so that is not a major concern, but the problem is the cold. He said it is absolutely freezing.
“He said 95 per cent of the city is gone and the smell is just something else. There is nothing left there.
“He was not functioning properly when I spoke to him yesterday.
“I do not think I am going to get the same person back.”
Read more:
- County Durham man learned cousin died in earthquake after seeing body on Facebook
- North East Turkish community appeals to help earthquake victims
- Man arrested on suspicion of setting fire to cars in Crook is bailed
Friends and family in Stanley have collected blankets, clothes, toiletries, nappies, baby food, sanitary products and other essential items to send to Turkey and raised over £9,500 with an online fundraiser
To support the family and victims of the earthquake click here.
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