Turkey Earthquake: Ghanaian Student Shares Chilling First-Hand Experience; "Babies Trapped Under Rubble"

Turkey Earthquake: Ghanaian Student Shares Chilling First-Hand Experience; "Babies Trapped Under Rubble"

  • A Ghanaian student in Turkey has given a first-hand experience of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on Monday, January 6
  • Nasser Abdallah disclosed that he lived in a furnished apartment, but is now compelled to live in a park after the horrific earthquake
  • He said seeing babies and children trapped under collapsing buildings made the news was heartbreaking

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Nasser Abdallah, a Ghanaian student studying in Turkey, has shared his first-hand account of the horrific 7.8 magnitude earthquake that devastated Turkey and Syria.

Before the earthquake, he lived in a furnished apartment, but now he and many of his coworkers are forced to live in parks because their homes were destroyed after the earthquake on February 6, 2023.

Nasser Abdallah details how the first earthquake happened

Abdallah resided in Adana, a city 150 miles away from Gazientep, near the earthquake's epicentre

Read also

Every Ghanaian in part of Turkey where earthquake hit is safe – Ghana’s envoy assures

Earthquake in Turkey pops up in photo and an image of a man used for this report.
Ghanaian student in Turkey shares first-hand account after earthquake. Photo credit: Maskot/1001nights.
Source: Getty Images

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"Around 4:15 am, I was working on my laptop, and suddenly, I just saw my laptop shake, and my lightning system in the house also started to shake. It started from a mild to a big shake, everything was shaking, and we all ran outside," he told the BBC Africa Service, according to Ghanaweb.

Abdallah recounted that everyone in the apartments had to assemble outside before going back inside.

"… it was raining, and we are in winter, so it is cold, we stood in the rain for about 45 minutes, and we all went back into our rooms."

Nasser Abdallah recalls second earthquake

Abdallah said the second earthquake struck early in the morning, around 8:30. He recalled how the building that housed him started to shack before the earthquake struck.

Read also

Syrian woman dies after delivering baby while trapped under earthquake rubble

''It started to shake, and it was also as heavy as the first shake. I think from that moment, some vehicles in the neighbourhood have been going around making announcements that nobody should enter their house until further notice."

Abdallah claimed that he and his pals lived in a park after the catastrophic earthquake. He revealed that Turks permit others to use their automobiles as heaters.

''They are providing clothing and food. Nobody can enter their house until 72 hours, and most buildings have cracks."

Abdallah has gotten in touch with his elder brother back home about how he's faring. He disclosed that the Association of African Students (AFSA) in Ardana was sending messages to one another, "everybody that knows everyone is trying to reach someone, and there are no African casualties so far."

He, however, decried that ''seeing toddlers trapped under collapsing buildings makes the news even more upsetting''.

Read also

“We pray Christian Atsu is found safe and sound” – Akufo-Addo shares emotional message

Ghanaians pray for Christian Atsu after 7.8 earthquake in Turkey

Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh previously reported that scores of Ghanaians took to Twitter to pray for Christian Atsu amid reports that the Ghana Black Stars winger is battling for his life under rubble following a fatal earthquake in Turkey.

The 7.8 magnitude earthquake that shook Turkey and Syria early Monday, January 6, killed more than 2,300.

The quake toppled hundreds of buildings, leaving scores under rubble, including Ghana's Christian Atsu.

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Source: YEN.com.gh

Authors:
Nathaniel Crabbe avatar

Nathaniel Crabbe (Human-Interest editor) Nathaniel Crabbe is a journalist and editor with a degree in Journalism from the Ghana Institute of Journalism, where he graduated in 2015. He earned his master's from UPSA in December 2023. Before becoming an editor/writer of political/entertainment and human interest stories at Asaase Radio, Crabbe was a news reporter at TV3 Ghana. With experience spanning over ten years, he now works at YEN.com.gh as a human interest editor. You can reach him via nathaniel.crabbe@yen.com.gh.