A Sunderland dad has lost family members in deadly earthquakes that have hit Turkey, with many others still missing.
Kasif Demir was fast asleep in the early hours of Monday morning when he awoke to a WhatsApp message from his his sister, Vehibe, saying she was "fine". It wasn't until later that morning that Kasif, who lives in High Barnes with his wife Zoe and their two children, Kaya, nine, and Connor, 16, found out there had been a catastrophic earthquake in his home village near Antakya, Hatay Province's capital.
The message from his sister was the last time he heard from her, and Kasif soon found out that other members of his family were still trapped beneath rubble or missing. Tragically, his brother-in-law and his five-year-old daughter were killed in the earthquake, with Kasif's nephew and his wife also sadly dying. Other members of his family were more fortunate, and are continuing to cope with the aftermath in the town of Bakras.
