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ABC News
ABC News
National
Oliver Gordon and Yasmin Parry

Desperate son Gürkan searches for mother in rubble of Turkish earthquake

Gürkan is standing in front of an apartment block that collapsed when an earthquake hit southern Türkiye and northern Syria.

His mother is trapped somewhere inside the rubble.

"My mum is under the building right now. She might have died, maybe, I don't know."

While he waits for rescue teams to arrive, 33-year-old Gürkan points to the place where his mother was when the earthquake hit.

"It's not just my mum. Twelve people (lived) right there. Look at that. That's crazy."

The earthquake hit two days ago, and the death toll has already climbed above 7,700. It's expected to rise higher.

Gürkan and his family live in the Turkish city of Adana, about 200 kilometres south-west of the epicentre.

They do not expect to find his mother alive.

"I don't think so. I don't think. It's bad right now. (My father is) crying right now. But you know, so sad.

"Everybody wants to die normally, you know, not in an earthquake. That's why I will never forget this."

'You should come'

Outside the building, police gather. But rescue teams have still not arrived.

"Nothing. They don't do nothing. We're still waiting … can you imagine that?"

He says there are too few rescue squads in Adana, and international help is needed desperately.

"There is not enough, unfortunately.

"Every country should be here because that's not a regular earthquake.

"That's not, like that's not normal. I'm telling you guys. You should come over here. You should come."

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