'Hopeless and powerless': Torontonians with loved ones in Turkiye, Syria wait for news as earthquake death toll rises
Torontonians with connections to southeast Turkiye and northern Syria have been desperately trying to get in touch with friends and family who may have been killed, injured, or displaced by the powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the region on Monday.
The quake has left more than 3,400 people dead, and thousands more injured, after it toppled thousands of buildings and trapped residents under mounds of rubble.
Local authorities fear the death toll will keep climbing as rescuers search through tangles of metal and concrete for survivors in a region beset by Syria’s 12-year civil war and a refugee crisis.
Muhammet Yildrim, who lives in Toronto but has many loved ones in the region, says he’s fortunately heard from his family, but is still waiting to hear from a number of his friends.
“Before [we heard their voices], we were hopeless and powerless. We’ve never feel that hopeless before. And when we heard their voices, we got the light back,” Yildrim said.
“It was a hard time to wait here, but we knew the hardest time was for them. They’re waiting under buildings and they're waiting outside with their family.”
Yildrim said he feels lucky that his family wasn’t hurt because he knows others who are still waiting to hear from their loved ones, fearing the worst.
“When I spoke to my friends, I was really sad for them. I have never felt that sad before,” he said.
“Because when you're here, you can’t do anything; you feel helpless. You're just waiting here and there's no way to help them or reach them.”
Yildrim says he’s been trying to get in contact with one of his friends for more than 20 hours. He was able to reach his friend’s family, but they told Yildrim they didn’t know where he was either.
Mert Selvili, a small business owner based in Toronto who previously lived in Turkiye with his family for about 30 years, stressed the importance of understanding the size of the area impacted by the quake.
“The size of the area is like from Niagara to Ottawa; 500 kilometers wide, including 10 cities that all got hit,” Selvili said.
“Right now, over 5,600 buildings have collapsed and these numbers are increasing rapidly.”
Selvili says another factor making rescue efforts even more challenging, is the cold winter temperatures gripping the region.
“It's very cold outside and many people are just stuck in the wreckage. And people are trying to access to the cities but unfortunately, roads and highways are damaged,” Selvili said.
“Right now Turkiye is racing [against] time to save people because of the conditions. The major concern is hypothermia.”
Selvili says his family in Turkiye lives in Istanbul and was luckily unaffected by the quake, however he too has friends in the country’s southeast that he still hasn’t heard from.
“We have some friends that we couldn't get any news about. My wife's cousin lives in Gaziantep, one of the cities that was affected,” he said.
Yildrim said that for those injured in the quake, it’s nearly impossible to find hospitals able to provide medical care, since they were among the buildings that were brought down.
“When I talked with my friends, they [said they] tried to get their family to the hospital, but when they went there, [it was] down. They just saw the hospital's gone and they don't know what to do,” he said.
Yildrim said he and some of his friends in Toronto are trying to get supplies like carpets and beds together to send to the region, along with money to help those in need.
Earlier today, Mayor John Tory tweeted a message of support for those affected on behalf of Torontonians, saying, “Our thoughts are with those impacted by the devastating earthquake.”
The Toronto sign outside City Hall will be dimmed this evening to honour those who have lost their lives, and the CN Tower will dim its lights for 5 minutes at the top of each hour.
Federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also tweeted messages to the people of Turkiye and Syria, saying their thoughts were with those affected.
Trudeau added that “Canada stands ready to provide assistance.”
With files from The Canadian Press.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
4th Indian national arrested, charged with murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Homicide investigators in B.C. say murder charges have been laid against a fourth Indian national in connection to the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Surrey gurdwara last year.
Man ticketed after allegedly trespassing again at Drake's Bridle Path mansion to get his bike
A man who tried to access Drake’s Bridle Path mansion earlier this week returned to the property Saturday and was apprehended again for allegedly trespassing, Toronto police say.
Switzerland's Nemo wins 68th Eurovision Song Contest
Swiss singer Nemo won the 68th Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday night with 'The Code,' an operatic ode to the singer’s journey toward embracing their nongender identity.
Wildfire that forced evacuation of Fort Nelson, B.C., caused by tree falling on wires, mayor says
The wildfire that prompted the evacuation of more than 3,000 people near Fort Nelson, B.C., was caused by a tree falling on wires, according to the municipality's mayor.
Couple randomly attacked, 1 stabbed, by group of teens in Toronto, police say
A man has been transported to hospital after police say he was stabbed in a random attack carried out by a group of teens in Toronto on Friday night.
Israel orders new evacuations in Gaza's last refuge of Rafah as it expands military offensive
Israel ordered new evacuations in Gaza's southern city of Rafah on Saturday, forcing tens of thousands more people to leave as it prepared to expand its military operation deeper into what is considered Gaza’s last refuge.
'I am angry': Alberta farmers will continue fight over world class motorsport resort
The rolling hills leading to the hamlet of Rosebud are dotted with sprawling farms and cattle pastures -- and a sign sporting a simple message: No Race Track.
IN PICTURES Northern lights dance across the night sky in southern Ont.
From London, to Grand Bend, Collingwood and Guelph, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.
Ron Ellis, who played over 1,000 games with Maple Leafs, dead at 79
Ron Ellis, who played over 1,000 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs and was a member of Canada's team at the 1972 Summit Series, has died at age 79.