Girl rescued from rubble 248 hours after quake

KAHRAMANMARAŞ

Turkish rescuers on Feb. 16 pulled a 17-year-girl from the rubble of last week's devastating earthquake, as hopes fade of finding more survivors.

Aleyna Ölmez was rescued 248 hours after the 7.8-magnitude quake flattened entire cities, killing nearly 40,000 people across southeastern Turkey and parts of Syria.

"She looked to be in good health. She opened and closed her eyes," coal miner Ali Akdoğan, who took part in the rescue effort, told AFP in Kahramanmaraş, a city near the quake's epicentre.

"We have been working here in this building for a week now... We came here with the hope of hearing sounds," he said.

"We are happy whenever we find a living thing - even a cat."

The girl's uncle tearfully hugged the rescuers one by one, saying: "We will never forget you."