Thousands of survivors are leaving the earthquake-hit southeastern Turkey as two prominent airlines in the country announced a free-of-cost evacuation drive on Sunday. Turkish Airlines and Pegasus Airlines are offering free tickets to people affected by the earthquake in order to get them to a safer location.
College and university hostels, tourist resorts in provinces such as Istanbul, Ankara and Antalya have been reserved for affected people, according to India Today. Many people from Gaziantep, Nurdagi and Hatai have already left while many are gathered at the Gaziantep airport waiting to fly to a safer location.
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The death toll, six days after the deadly earthquake hit southeast Turkey and northwest Syria, crossed the 33,000 mark on Sunday. The number is feared to rise as search and rescue teams are expected to find more bodies. Amid reports of exponential crises, stories of miraculous rescue are also coming out from the area.
A 54-year-old Syrian was rescued in Turkey's Antakya by teams of Turkish firefighters and Chinese rescuers after he was trapped for 156 hours in rubble. Similarly, a teenager was pulled from rubble after days who was forced to drink his own urine in order survive.
{{/usCountry}}A 54-year-old Syrian was rescued in Turkey's Antakya by teams of Turkish firefighters and Chinese rescuers after he was trapped for 156 hours in rubble. Similarly, a teenager was pulled from rubble after days who was forced to drink his own urine in order survive.
{{/usCountry}}Also read: Over 130 contractors detained in Turkey as death toll crosses 33,000 mark
The United Nations predicted that the death toll is likely to “double or more” from the number reported earlier which was 28,000. "I think it is difficult to estimate precisely as we need to get under the rubble but I'm sure it will double or more," UN relief chief Martin Griffiths told Sky News in an interview.
(With agency inputs)