In the wake of a destructive earthquake off the coast of Turkey on Friday that left much of its third-largest city in rubble, some hope is shining through three days later.
At least 83 people have died and more than 1,000 have been injured from the earthquake, which centered in the Aegean Sea near the Greek island of Samos. However, in a series of remarkable rescues, first responders in the city of Izmir are continuing to pull citizens from the rubble of collapsed buildings.
On Monday, emergency crews extracted a 3-year-old girl who had been trapped for 65 hours after her apartment building collapsed. Authorities said the little girl had no serious injuries. Under a different building, a 14-year-old girl buried under debris for more than 58 hours was also rescued.
Search-and-rescue teams worked tirelessly over the weekend to find those still missing amid the destruction. On Sunday, they saved a 70-year-old man who fell under his collapsed building.
Dr. Fahrettin Koca, the country’s health minister, tweeted that this man, Ahmet Citim, told him he “never lost hope,” according to the Associated Press.
Turkey is a transcontinental country that sits between geographic fault lines, making the country especially prone to earthquakes, according to the AP. The U.S. Geological Survey measured the earthquake as 7.0 on Friday.
At least 70 people were rescued in Izmir after a few dozen buildings collapsed at the time of the earthquake, according to Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD).
NATO, whose land forces are stationed in Izmir, and the U.S. Air Force reported that their personnel were safe and accounted for after the initial shock in the city.
ABC News’ William Mansell, Alexandra Svokos, and Engin Bas contributed to this report.
