“We thought it was the apocalypse,” says Turkey earthquake survivor.

Tulin Akkaya She was trying to collect her thoughts after being rudely awakened by Turkey’s worst earthquake in nearly a century, when a second shock forced her to run outside.

“I am very scared. I felt the (aftershock) very strongly because I live on the top floor,” said the 30-year-old housewife.

“We ran out in a panic. It was almost like an earthquake at dawn. Now I can’t go back to my apartment, I don’t know what will happen next,” the woman added.

Many buildings lay in ruins in his city of Diyarbakır in the southeast of the country, home to many of the millions who fled war and poverty to neighboring countries. Syria.

the same scenes devastation It spread to the main border cities of both countries after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake that hit before dawn.

An aftershock of magnitude 7.5, which scientists say occurs only about 20 times a year worldwide.

The authorities have calculated the total dead.

He earthquake He ended up in a remote and underdeveloped area. The problem faced by the rescue teams in both Turkey how in Syria It’s huge.

Authorities counted more than 50 aftershocks in the first 10 hours after the initial quake and warned they would continue for many more days.

“Apocalypse”

Several buildings collapsed both in Diyarbakır and in nearby towns.

The second big shock came when the survivors began to return to their homes to gather things that could help them get through the cold night ahead.

Most of the region was left without gas and electricity.

weather service forecasts rain And wet snow southeast of Turkey most of the week.

“This seismic zoneso I got used to the shaking,” said reporter Melisa Salman, who lives in Kahramanmaras. earthquake epicenterabout 60 km from the Syrian border.

“But this is the first time we’ve come across something like this,” the 23-year-old told AFP. “We thought it was the apocalypse.”

“We left at half past five in the morning. It is raining, but no one dares to return to their homes, fearing new replicas”, he added.

Though the earth doesn’t stop tremblerescue teams, often supported by the local population, continue to search for victims.

A six-year-old girl was rescued after several hours of work from rescuers his father helped.

There can be three children in total. saved from the rubble of this completely destroyed building in Kahramanmaras.

“I managed to save three people. But I also found two bodies. I can’t go home. I stay in case they need me,” Khalis Aktemur said.

This 35-year-old man came to offer his help to rescuers working on the ruins of a building in Diyarbakir.

Some shops like GYM’s or receptionists welcome people who cannot return to their homes in Diyarbakir, an AFP correspondent found.

AFP