Torontonians with connections to southeast Turkiye and northern Syria have been desperately trying to contact friends and family who may have been killed, injured or displaced by the powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the region. on Monday.
The quake has left more than 3,400 people dead and thousands more injured, after it toppled thousands of buildings and trapped residents under piles of rubble.
Local authorities fear the death toll will continue to rise as rescuers search for survivors amid tangles of metal and concrete in a region beset by Syria’s 12-year civil war and a refugee crisis.
Muhammet Yildrim, who lives in Toronto but has many loved ones in the region, says he has luckily heard from his family, but is still waiting to hear from several of his friends.
“Before [we heard their voices], we were hopeless and powerless. We have never felt so hopeless before. And when we hear the voices of him, we get the light back,” Yildrim said.
“It was a difficult moment to wait here, but we knew that the most difficult moment was for them. They are waiting under the buildings and outside with their family.”
Yildrim said he feels lucky his family was not hurt because he knows others who are still waiting to hear from their loved ones, fearing the worst.
“When I talked to my friends, I was very sad for them. I have never felt so sad before,” she said.
“Because when you’re here, you can’t do anything; you feel powerless You are just waiting here and there is no way to help or reach them.”
Yildrim says that he has been trying to get in touch with one of his friends for more than 20 hours. He was able to communicate with his friend’s family, but they told Yildrim that they didn’t know where he was either.
Mert Selvili, a Toronto-based small business owner who previously lived in Turkiye with his family for about 30 years, stressed the importance of understanding the size of the earthquake-affected area.
“The size of the area is like from Niagara to Ottawa; 500 kilometers wide, including 10 cities that were hit,” Selvili said.
“Right now, more than 5,600 buildings have collapsed and these numbers are increasing rapidly.”
Selvili says another factor making rescue efforts even more challenging is the frigid winter temperatures plaguing the region.
“It is very cold outside and many people are trapped in the rubble. And people are trying to access the cities but unfortunately the roads and highways are damaged,” Selvili said.
“Right now, Turkiye is competing [against] time to save people due to conditions. The main concern is hypothermia.”
Selvili says that his family in Turkiye lives in Istanbul and luckily they were not affected by the earthquake, however, he also has friends in the south-east of the country that he has not heard from yet.
“We have some friends that we couldn’t get any news from. My wife’s cousin lives in Gaziantep, one of the affected cities,” she said.
Yildrim said that for those injured in the quake it is almost impossible to find hospitals capable of providing medical care, as they were among the buildings that collapsed.
“When I talked to my friends, they [said they] tried to take his family to the hospital, but when they went there, [it was] below. They just saw that the hospital has left and they don’t know what to do,” she said.
Yildrim said he and some of his friends in Toronto are trying to gather supplies like rugs and beds to send to the region, along with money to help those in need.
Earlier today, Mayor John Tory tweeted a message of support for those affected on behalf of Torontonians, saying, “Our thoughts are with those affected by the devastating earthquake.”
The Toronto sign outside City Hall will dim tonight to honor those who have lost their lives, and the CN Tower will dim its lights for 5 minutes at the end of every hour.
Federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also tweeted messages to the people of Turkiye and Syria, saying their thoughts were with those affected.
Trudeau added that “Canada stands ready to provide assistance.”
With Canadian Press archives.