AKUT Search and Rescue Association President Zeynep Yosun Akverdi: “Critical hours for the lives trapped in the rubble have now begun. These hours are both life-threatening and dangerous because hope begins to run out, but we must overcome this danger… In AKUT, we always say in our trainings, ‘You will perform rescues during these hours that you may never forget for the rest of your life.’ For example, in this major disaster, we will never forget the rescue of Efe baby and his mother in Adiyaman after 47 hours, Bekir Amca (Bekir Yildirim) at 71 hours in Gaziantep, and a Syrian mother and her three children after 83 hours. Also, after the rescue operations during the advanced hours of the earthquake, we really rest physically and mentally. We must never lose hope, there is still much to be done.”

AKUT Search and Rescue Association continues to increase the number of volunteers and the number of people rescued in the two earthquakes centered in Pazarcık and Elbistan districts of Kahramanmaraş. AKUT teams, who quickly coordinated since the first moment of the earthquake, are continuing their operations with more than 1,100 volunteers, including 30 teams in the field, 777 on site, and more than 300 at desk, as of 14:00 on February 10, 2023. In a statement made by the Association, it was stated that 151 people were rescued alive from the wreckage with the support of 4 search dogs. In the search and rescue operations, it was also reported that 180 lifeless bodies were recovered. Thus, AKUT has rescued 331 people.

AKUT, with all its teams throughout Turkey, in the earthquake area.

AKUT continues its work in the earthquake zone with all its teams from Gaziantep, Kahramanmaraş, Afyonkarahisar, Alanya, Ankara, Antalya, Bingöl, Bodrum, Bozüyük, Bursa, Çanakkale, Denizli, Eskişehir, Fethiye, Gaziantep, Giresun, Istanbul, İzmir, Kaş-Kalkan, Kuşadası, Kocaeli, Manisa, Marmaris, Mersin, Niğde, Rize, Selçuk, Tekirdağ, Trabzon and Yarımada, in other words, with all teams spread across the country.

Zeynep Yosun Akverdi: “I will never forget the rescue of Efe baby and his mother in Adıyaman at the 47th hour.”

Zeynep Yosun Akverdi, the President of the Board of Directors of AKUT Search and Rescue Association, emphasized that the critical hours for the lives trapped in the debris have now begun. She stated that these hours are both vital and dangerous, and highlighted that it is important to overcome the danger. According to her, AKUT always says in their training sessions that you can carry out rescues that you may never forget during these hours. As an example, she mentioned the rescue of baby Efe and his mother in Adıyaman in the 47th hour, the rescue of 71-year-old Bekir Amca (Bekir Yıldırım) in Gaziantep in the 71st hour, and the rescue of a Syrian mother and her 3 children in the 83rd hour, which she will never forget. She added that after carrying out rescues in the later stages of the earthquake, they really need physical and mental rest. However, they must never lose hope, as there is still much work to be done. She expressed her condolences to the citizens who lost their lives in the earthquake, wishing them peace and condoling with their families. She also wished a speedy recovery to those who were injured.