The bodies of two teachers and a student have been recovered from the Isias Hotel in Adiyaman, officials in Turkish-controlled northern Cyprus said. A group of 39 people, including men’s and women’s teams, were said to be in the building when it collapsed. Search operations are continuing at the place where the player’s family gathers. The quake killed thousands in southern Turkey and northern Syria. The players traveled to Adiyaman accompanied by teachers and parents from Famagusta Turkish Maarif University. Four people are known to have survived after the seven-story building collapsed, reportedly escaping from the rubble.
Turkish-Cypriot media quoted officials as saying that the lifeless bodies of two teachers were found on Wednesday – and that the death toll had risen to three after an eighth-grade student was discovered. An education official from the island said they would remain there until the remaining students were found. One mother at the scene questioned the construction of the buildings and asked if they had been adequately inspected. Another woman said her niece, 12-year-old Nehir, had been staying with her in Adiyaman but had gone to the hotel on the day of the earthquake to join up with friends.
On the other hand, a teacher who survived the earthquake said that he hadn’t slept since the earthquake and that his daughter was still trapped in the rubble. The first magnitude 7.8 tremors hit the Turkish city of Gaziantep near the Syrian border on Monday morning. Many aftershocks were felt in both countries. About 16,000 people are known to have died in both countries. The World Health Organization warns that many more people could die without shelter, water, fuel, and electricity. More than 72 hours after the disaster, hope is still fading for many people trapped under the destroyed buildings as the freezing weather continues.
