MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

 Semsûr (Adıyaman)- Earthquake death toll in the Bêhiştî (Turkish: Besni) district of Semsûr (Turkish: Adıyaman) is still not clear. In the district, where dozens of buildings collapsed, search and rescue efforts still go on. People are still waiting for their loved ones to be rescued in rubble. However, the search and rescue efforts started in the district on the fourth day of the deadly Maraş earthquakes. Although people asked for help from Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), the AFAD teams did not help them.

‘Civilians help us, not the state’

Songül Metin has been waiting for her brother to be taken out of rubble of the eight-story Nur Apartment located in the Yeni neighborhood of the district for 10 days. Reacting to the late search and rescue efforts, she said, “We fought for days, stopping the vehicles of the search- rescue teams so they could rescue people in rubble; however, they did not stop and rescue people. We did not see the mayor and district governor. They do not represent us; they are not our mayor and district governor. After the earthquakes, voices of people were heard under the collapsed buildings; however, they died in rubble due to the late search and rescue efforts. Civilians help us, not the state. Civilians send us humanitarian aid, not the state.”

‘We tried to stop the vehicle of the AFAD’

“Although we called the authorities many times, the search and rescue efforts started in the district on the fourth day of the earthquakes,” Seydi Vakas Metin said, “The efforts to remove rubble started yesterday. We have received no support from the state since the Maraş earthquakes. No search and rescue teams came here for four days. One day, we saw a vehicle of the AFAD and tried to stop it to ask for help; however, they did not stop. Search and rescue teams came here after it was too late. We waited for days for teams to rescue our children, relatives; however, no one came. We have lost our children, relatives.”

‘I lost my loved ones, my house’

Ayşe Soma has lost many of her relatives and her house collapsed in the earthquakes. She also criticizes the late search and rescue efforts. “My house collapsed in Pazarcık. I lost my relatives in Antep. Now, I am waiting for my brother to be taken out of the rubble. My children stay in a railway wagon in Pazarcık. I'm waiting in hope here but there's nothing left. No search and rescue efforts started here for days. The efforts started two days ago.”