Southeast of Turkey (officially the Republic of Türkiye) and Northwest Syria were devastated by a major 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck on February 6,2023, along with a number of aftershocks. After a week, more than 36,000 people have been killed. The recent earthquakes in Turkey have led to an unbearable loss of life and injuries across the Kahramanmaras region. Another earthquake hit Turkey at 6.2 magnitude death total rises up to 47,000. 

Miray was one of the victims who had been trapped under a rubble block for 178 hours, a total of seven-and-a–half days. Videos have shown workers cheering and shouting “god is great” as she was lifted out of the darkness. The young girl was rescued on Monday in the city of Adiyaman, and was carried away by rescue workers. The local media reported teams on the ground had been hoping to find her older sister. The rescue is most likely to be among the last as the deadline for how long humans can survive without water approaches. Several others were trapped and rescued on that Monday including a 13 year old boy named Kaan, who was trapped for a total of 182 hours. More rescues are becoming more rarer as death totals rise. Another woman was found alive under another pile of rubble after 175 hours. 

Cold temperatures in Turkey and Syria were a double- edged sword, said Prof Tony Redomond.  He had stated “if you are very cold, your blood vessels shrink and you can last a little longer from your injuries, but getting too cold is harmful itself.” However, the rescues at 178 and up have surpassed some experts’ estimates as to how long locals could survive. Scientists are saying that this shows how long the human body can survive without water and very little air access. But of course they would be critical damage to the human body.