Thousands of people have been pulled from under the rubble in Turkey and Syria since yesterday morning. In Turkey alone, nearly 6,000 buildings collapsed as a result of the violent earthquakes. Crowds of people are still trapped between the debris. Estimates range from hundreds to many thousands.
Some of them are calling for help via social media. Emergency services are often difficult or impossible to reach and there are not enough rescue workers to help everyone in time.
Addresses are shared via Twitter in the hope that someone can mean something. “Help, we are under the rubble, there are many people here” tweets a man just after the quake. A little less than an hour later, he writes that his mother, brother and himself have been rescued from under the rubble, but that his father is still trapped.
Voice messages, videos and live locations
A Turkish journalist says people trapped under the rubble have sent him voice messages, videos and live locations. “People are still trapped under the buildings,” he told the BBC. “They tell us where they are, but we can’t do anything.”
The journalist, Ibrahim Haskologlu, is from a city severely affected by the earthquake. He himself is currently staying in Istanbul, and says he will soon go home to provide help.
A cry for help via social media can be effective, says Jorg van Waardhuizen. He is press officer for the Urban Search and Rescue team (USAR), which traveled to the earthquake zone with 65 Dutch aid workers. It could be a reason to start looking in a specific place. Just like when someone shouts on the street: help, someone is lying there.”
Not enough capacity
But the rescue team doesn’t scour the internet for messages from people in need. “We don’t have the capacity for that. We don’t have a web team that analyzes things like that, we don’t actively look for them,” says Van Waardhuizen.
The Dutch aid workers will start their rescue operations today. Their camp is set up in Hatay province. Time is running out. The general rule is: the longer it takes, the less likely people are to survive. That’s why this mission basically lasts ten days. After that time, the chance of survival has become very small.”
