Key developments in the aftermath of Turkey, Syria quakes

 

Key developments in the aftermath of Turkey, Syria quakes

ANTAKYA, Turkey (AP) — The earthquakes that killed more than 39,000 people in southern Turkey and northern Syria produced more grieving and suffering along with extraordinary rescues and appeals for aid.Here's a look at key developments Wednesday from the aftermath of the earthquakes:DEFYING ODDS AFTER NINE DAYSA search-and-rescue team in southern Turkey's Kahramanmaras province extricated a 42-year-old woman from the shattered remains of a building a full 222 hours after the first 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck in the early hours of Feb. 6.

Video published by Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency showed rescuers lifting the survivor, Melike Imamoglu, out of a crease in the towering debris. When the stretcher was loaded into an ambulance, a large group of rescuers burst into applause.A woman and two children also were pulled alive from rubble six hours later in Antakya, the capital of southern Turkey's Hatay province, Anadolu Agency reported.The rescues were exceptions to the grim work of locating the bodies of the remaining dead. The first earthquake and a 7.5 magnitude quake nine hours later destroyed thousands of buildings. Survivors and building experts have said shoddy construction contributed to the massive death toll.

ANKARA EXPRESSES GRATITUDETurkey’s foreign minister thanked the international community Wednesday for its support following last week's earthquakes.Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said 76 countries sent search and rescue teams to help Turkish personnel comb through collapsed buildings. Twelve of the foreign teams have returned home after completing their missions, he said“Of course, everything isn’t perfect. There were shortcoming, shortcomings in coordination in the beginning, but in a short time, the system was established,” Cavusoglu said of the emergency response.