Breaths were held, a miracle happened 65 hours after the quake. The rescue teams of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) scrapped the building's debris and they managed to rescue a 3-year-old girl injured Elif from debris.
A miracle occurred in the early hours of this morning with the cooperation of the Istanbul Fire Department, Istanbul Water and Sewerage Administration (ISKI), and other teams taking part in search and rescue efforts in İzmir.
65 hours after the Izmir earthquake, a 3-year-old girl survivor, Elif Perinçek was rescued from the wreckage of the Doğanlar Apartment building in Bayraklı district, where searches are still ongoing.
Speaking to reporters following the rescue operation for little Elif, firefighter of the Istanbul Fire Department Muammer Çelik shared emotional moments, saying: “Elif grabbed my finger. I cleaned her face, brushed off the dust. I and my friend held her. When we got her, she held my finger and never let go. Elif held my hand until she was carried to the health cabinet. I was with Elif. She deserved to live to the end. We never lost hope for Elif, as well.”
Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu also shared a message on social media to celebrate his team's latest achievement. “Millions of thanks to all our teams who were able to rescue 3-year-old Elif from the rubble of a flattened building 65 hours after the earthquake in Izmir.” Imamoğlu wrote on his Twitter account.
About 23 hours after the quake, Elif’s mother Seher Dereli Perinçek and her 10-year-old twin siblings Ezel and Elzem Perinçek, as well as her seven-year-old brother Umut Perinçek were pulled from the rubble. However, Umut lost his life, while her mother and other two siblings are under treatment.
