Türkiye quakes: List of ‘miracle’ babies rescued from deepest ruins

Last Monday's two 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude earthquakes affected tens of thousands of people Türkiye's southeastern provinces and neighbouring Syria.  

The total death toll in two countries has surpassed 34,000, making it the deadliest earthquake of the century in the region.

Every now and then, visuals of rescue workers pulling out infants, toddlers and children from the deepest parts of the concrete rubble go viral on social media, with people from all across the world describing such stories of survival as "miracles".

Here are some of the miraculous rescues of children that surprised netizens in the past few days.

1. Hamza, a seven-month-old baby, was rescued in Hatay province, one of the most affected regions in Türkiye, after being stuck under the rubble for more than 140 hours since the first quake hit the country. 

2. Aliye Dagli, a two-year-old baby girl, was also pulled out alive from the rubble in Hatay thanks to the search-and-rescue team and AFAD volunteers’ efforts almost 133 hours after the devastating earthquakes. The baby, who was taken to the ambulance in the arms of the medical staff, was treated.

3. A baby estimated to be about two months old was found alive 128 hours after the quake in Hatay. The baby's survival for nearly five days without any injuries was a powerful visual that moved people to tears and warmed many hearts. Efforts to identify the baby are underway since the infant's parents are still missing.

4. A 15-month-old Yusuf Huseyin was taken out after the 105th hour of the earthquake. About 20 minutes later, his 7-year-old brother Mohammed Huseyin was pulled out from the same pile of concrete slabs of what used to be a three-floored building in Hatay.

5. Just 10 days old Yagız Ulas may be the youngest earthquake survivor, who was freed from the wreckage in Hatay with his mother. The duo spent 101 hours in the rubble, braving the freezing winter chill.

 6. In Kahramanmaras, the epicentre of the devastating earthquake, one-year-old Raha and her mother Ela Hamoko of Syrian origin were rescued after being trapped in the debris for 81 hours.

7. Five-year-old Hazal Guner was rescued in Hatay after being trapped in the debris for 72 hours. When asked if she wanted to drink water when she was pulled out of the wreckage, she replied, “No, I haven't been examined yet”.  She was taken with her mother to the hospital for a medical examination. 

Unaccompanied infants

The Ministry of Family and Social Services of Türkiye stated that they have put all the unaccompanied children in state-run shelters. 

It said proper procedures will be initiated to match the unaccompanied minors and children with suitable foster homes to provide a stable and secure environment for them to grow and thrive.

So far 263 children have been saved from the rubble, according to the Ministry of Family and Social Services. Among them, 162 children are receiving medical treatment in various hospitals and 101 are being sent to shelters run by the ministry. 

READ MORE: Live updates: Miracle rescues as Türkiye, Syria disaster hits one-week mark