Heartbreaking stories narrated by earthquake survivors in Aleppo city

Rescue operations continue in freezing temperatures to search for people , who have been trapped under the remains of buildings flattened by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake, which hit Syria 6 days ago and left massive damages and a huge number of victims in Aleppo, Lattakia, Tartous and Hama.

These operations coincided with heartbreaking short stories narrated by some survivors, who had lost their loved ones in the earthquake.

One of the survivors, a mother of 5 children, said: “ I descended the stairs with my four children but I could not find my 8-year old  daughter. She was missing . She is not in any hospital or under the rubble. My heart is broken.. I just want to know where she is., I want to see her again.. She was wearing a pink jacket and black trouser …Please search for her .. my husband and I and  one of my children are wounded, and we receive treatment in the University Hospital in Aleppo city.”

While a boy in the same room in the hospital said: “I was sleeping when the earthquake occurred. My sister told  me to wake up ..I went with my sister to the basement and put her and another little boy under a big iron bar to keep a gap for us to go out, but I could not go out, So I shouted loudly and people rescued me and my sister and the little boy.”

A 12-year-old girl, her name is Aryam, said: “ I was living in Fardous area,.. The  building collapsed after we had walked out of it, but the iron bar of our balcony fell on my leg . My elder brother was buying bread from bakery and I was with my mother and little  brother.. My mother was also wounded. Her leg was broken.”

Aryan was lucky as her family’s members are ok,. However her neighbor  lost her mother, sister and father under the rubble.

Anas from Ashrafeyeh district said: “I carried my son and walked out of the building when the earthquake happened, but suddenly a stone fell on me and my 10-month-old son dropped from my hand. But he is ok after he received treatment in the hospital.

13-year-old girl, Aya Hamsho said : “ Our building collapsed when the earthquake happened. My father and mother died, and I survived. We were living  on floor No.5, the celling dropped on us. I was in a room and my parents were in another one. My hand was broken and I must  undergo   surgery” .

Abo Mohammad said that he spent 10 hours under the rubble and his wife and 3 children died.

Another survivor said that he was at his flat in floor No.3 when the earthquake caused the collapse of the building. He found himself suddenly under the rubble, so he started to shout loudly with the aim of being rescued.  The rescuers found him and transported him to a hospital..

A woman said that when the earthquake happened she left her house immediately, but a big stone fell on her head and she is receiving treatment at a hospital.

Abo Omar, stands near his sister’s  house  which had partly collapsed in the earthquake. He is searching for her and her children. “I think they are under the rubble.. I have not found them in any hospital.”

In Aleppo, there are 280 shelters that house 50.000 people, who have been affected by the earthquake, according to the Alikhbaria TV channel.

Deputy Chairman of the Executive Bureau in Aleppo city Komaith Assi Al-Sheikh, declared on the 7th of this month that 92 injuries were pulled from the rubble by the rescue team, and the number of injured reached 702, while the death toll  hit 364, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

The call Syrians asking for a helping hand has reached all over the world.

Many heard this call, and few answered it. Those who are under the rubble do not need sympathy and solidarity. Rather, they look up, seeking a hand to save them, and pray to see the light again.