Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Reuters
Reuters
Environment
By Antonio Denti

The Turkish street that lies in ruins after the quake

Street no. 21 in Hatay, Turkey was, on Sunday, a happy home for dozens of families.

By Monday, there was hardly anything left of it.

Turkey's deadliest earthquake since 1999 left the street in ruins and its surviving residents homeless, desperately seeking missing relatives, and in shock as they processed what had happened.

Rescue workers have struggled to reach some of the worst-hit areas, held back by destroyed roads, poor weather and a lack of resources and heavy equipment.

"Words are sticking in my throat. Crying is no longer a remedy," said Halil Gencoglu on Tuesday, fighting back tears.

The city centre was, he said, "almost like a ghost city. We have gone back at least 50 years in time. Our lives are ruined. Our children are devastated... At least two or three people died from each home."

Hardly a building was left standing in the street. Doors, roofs and windows lay scattered. Injured people were pulled out of the remains of what once were homes. Many people stood in silence, staring in disbelief.

Abdulkadir Dogan had already lost his parents in the earthquake and was still hoping to find his cousin alive.

"We want to rescue our wives, relatives and friends who are stuck. They are our priority because we are trying to cling to life with them... My cousin is stranded there and I am here and I can do nothing," he said.

(Reporting by Antonio Denti; Writing by Rosalba O'Brien; Editing by Christopher Cushing)

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.