NOS News•
A dog was pulled alive from the rubble 24 days after the earthquakes in Turkey, state news agency Anadolu reports, among other things.
The animal was freed from the rubble by rescuers after a noise was heard during rubble clearance in the hard-hit region of Hatay.
The dog, according to the news agency a terrier, was able to survive because it had access to food and water in the rubble. The body of a person believed to be the animal’s owner was found near the animal.
On Twitter, (unverified) images of the rescue of the animal are circulating:
The dog has been sent to a vet for a check-up, but appears to be doing well. Three weeks after the earthquake, live animals are still regularly found, according to the ANP news agency. Humane Society International (HSI) estimates that more than 1500 found animals have been treated for their injuries.
In the meantime, however, the chance of finding surviving humans has become virtually nil. However, there are still stories of survivors who lost each other and are reunited.
This man lay under the rubble in Hatay for two days with his granddaughter and was reunited with her in Ankara three weeks later:
Mithat reunited with granddaughter three weeks after Turkey earthquake
Debris is being cleared from most of the places that were hit hard by the earthquakes in Syria and Turkey and the bodies of victims are being recovered. The death toll has now risen to more than 50,000.
Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan apologized on Monday for the slow start of the rescue work after the earthquakes. He further said that the delay in rescue work was partly due to the cold weather conditions and the infrastructure severely damaged by the earthquake.
Social media in particular was critical of the speed with which the Turkish government responded after the earthquakes.
