People continues to suffer following the 6.8 magnitude earthquake occured in Sivrice district of Elazığ. 39 people have lost their lives so far and 1.607 people were injured. 788 aftershocks hit Elazığ after the earthquake some of which is over the magnitude of 4.  According to the data of the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency of the Ministry of Interior (AFAD) 76 buildings were completely destroyed by the earthquake while 645 of them are inhabitable due to the damage. 12 buildings are about to be demolished. 

 

 

THEY ARE MAKING FIRES TO GET WARM

 

Since the first day of the earthquake, the vast majority of citizens had to leave the city. Citizens in the city, where the air temperature drops down to minus 10, cannot enter their homes out of fear for their lives. The citizens who are spending the nights in parks or on the streets, are suffering from the cold weather.  

 

The citizens are still suffering from the cold weather despite the tents given by AFAD. 11 people are staying in tents for 6 people. Their biggest issue is to get warm. Despite the authorities announced that enough heaters and blankets were given to the citizens, almost none of the people were given heaters or blankets. People are trying to get warm with fires they make in front of their tents. Many people who got sick from the cold weather are admitted to hospitals. 

 

The security of the parks are provided by police and soldiers. It attracted attention that a section of the tent zone is being protected by the gendermerie is prohibited from enterance. The gendermerie who did not disclose why they did not allow enterance to that zone, said the enterance is only possible with security clearance. 

 

'WE CAN'T SLEEP BECAUSE OF THE COLD' 

 

Mine Kumaro, mother of three, one of the citizens staying at tents, said she can't go back to her house because of the cracks on the walls. Kumaro, stating that she has been staying outside for three days now, drawing attention to the heating problem, said: "Because there are no heaters in tents, we have to stay beside the fire until morning. Neither us nor our children can sleep due to the cold weather. Our children got sick. "

 

'I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO'

 

Zühtü Kardeşler who stayed two nights at the mosque because of the cracks on the walls of his apartment, said: "I came here to find a tent, but it looks like I won't be able to find one. I don't know what to do. I am staying outside with my family and I don't know what will happen."

 

Rüstem Paşa Mahallesi’ndeki evinin duvarlarında oluşan çatlaklardan kaynaklı ilk iki geceyi camide geçirdiğini söyleyen Zühtü Kardeşler, şunları söyledi: “Buraya çadır bakmaya geldim. Ancak görüyor ki çadır bulamayacağım. Ne yapacağımızı bilmiyorum. Ailemle dışarıdayım ve ne olacağını bilmiyorum.” 

 

5 BLANKETS FOR 11 PEOPLE

 

Yusuf Çetin one of the people staying outside, said: "11 of us are staying in a tent for 6. They gave us only 5 blankets. We are desperate. We can't go back home because it was marked unsafe."

 

Depremin uzun sürdüğü için depremden kurtulamayacağını düşünen Yusuf Çetin ise iki gündür çadırda kaldığını belirterek, “Bir çadırda 11 kişi kalıyoruz ve sadece beş battaniye verilmiş bize. Çaresiz bekliyoruz. Ev hasarlı olduğu için dönmekten korkuyoruz” diye konuştu. 

 

'MY CHILDREN GOT SICK'

 

Handan Çetin who stated that her 3 children got sick because of the cold, said: "We sent our children to the hospital with an ambulance. We don't have money to buy their medicine once they are back. We can't go back home out of fear. We get in line for food but the food finished before its our turn. We haven't been able to eat tonight again."

 

MA / Mehmet Şah Oruç – Lezgin Akdeniz