Rescuers search a destroyed building in Kahramanmaras, southern Turkey. Photo / Hussein Malla)
Rescuers search a destroyed building in Kahramanmaras, southern Turkey. Photo / Hussein Malla)
A Turkish holiday for Denise McCabe and her husband Zaferay quickly turned into a rescue mission once the 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit the country, throwing everything in to chaos.
On Monday morning, devastating earthquakes struck parts of Turkey and Syria, leaving destruction and debris in their wake. As rescuers continue to search for survivors among the rubble, the death toll has risen to over 8,000 and is expected to rise even further.
The earthquake impacted the Kahramanmaraş area in Turkey. The country’s capital, Ankara, is located more than 400km northwest. Teaomaori.news spoke to a wahine from Waikato-Tainui who landed in Ankara right after the earthquake hit.
McCabe never expected a holiday back to her husband’s homeland in Turkey would turn to chaos.
“When I arrived in Ankara all I saw was a blackout. Some places had no electricity in the main centre. But there was just a lot of people everywhere and scattered,” she says.
“What we see on the news is five different cities with different effects and each city has some relief. Some have none. Some of them are outside in the elements. These are families, elderly, kuia, kaumātua outside in the cold because it is snowing here in the winter time and it is cold.”
The McCabes have banded together with family and locals to help affected families.
Rescuers raced to find survivors in the rubble of thousands of buildings brought down by a powerful earthquake and multiple aftershocks that struck eastern Turkey and neighbouring Syria. Photo / Francisco Seco
“My partner Zaferay, he’s just like me helping, he’s helping where he sees his people in need. So I’m just feeling for his wairua [spirit] and trying to help with the support. I feel for the people because they’re my people at the end of the day. His people, my people.
“We’re here helping out with the relief. Whether it’s kākahu, pūtea or any sort of benefits for the people.
“What I’ve done is taken the whakaaro [idea] from back home. What we do with our own and putting that into perspective because that’s what we do as Māori.”
Both McCabe and her husband are slowly trying to locate loved ones.
“At this moment I don’t have a clue. We are still finding family and friends and ensuring all his whānau and friends are safe, in good spirits and okay.”
Significant damage to building infrastructures was apparent.
“There are a lot of families who live in apartments and these are not just small apartments. These are massive apartment blocks, with probably about 200 people in each.”
“You wouldn’t believe the buildings I’ve seen. I’ve seen Auckland city and this is nothing in comparison. This is about 10 times the size.”
The couple plan to join the relief crews.
New Zealand is contributing $1.5 million to assist in the humanitarian response to a devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria and Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta indicated more could be provided if necessary.
