3-year-old girl rescued 91 hours after quake

İZMİR

A three-year-old girl was pulled out of the rubble alive on Nov. 3, days after a magnitude 6.6 earthquake hit Turkey’s Aegean region.

Ayda Gezgin was rescued in the Bayraklı district of the Aegean province of İzmir some 91 hours after the quake.

Ayda, the 107th survivor to be rescued, was taken to a hospital immediately.

On Twitter, Mehmet Güllüoğlu, the head of Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), has expressed happiness at the little girl’s rescue.

Speaking to reporters following Ayda’s rescue, a rescue team member, Nusret Aksoy, said he spotted the struggling young girl waving her hand.

According to the rescue crew, the first thing she said was, “Where is my father?” On the way to the hospital while she was in the ambulance, she also kept asking about her mother.

Ayda, who survived by hiding near a dishwasher, asked the health workers to bring her some meatballs and ayran, a drink made of yogurt and water, said the officials.

Ayda’s rescue came after a string of other miraculous rescues.

Speaking at a news conference, Environment and Urbanization Minister Murat Kurum said by all indications, Ayda’s health is stable and good, a view echoed by the deputy health minister.

He added that search and rescue efforts in four buildings continue while efforts in 13 buildings have been completed in the city, which is Turkey’s third-largest.