TURKEY: Rescue teams pulled a 16-year-old boy from the debris of a collapsed apartment building yesterday after he survived almost six days under the rubble.
Muhammet Kalem was the first survivor to be pulled from the wreckage in almost five days and his father, Ahmet, had so little hope of seeing his son again that he had already dug his grave.
The 11-floor building in central Turkey collapsed last Monday killing at least 68 people. Twenty-nine survivors were pulled from the wreckage, but the last to be pulled out alive was rescued on Tuesday.
"I kept hearing the voices of rescuers," Muhammet told reporters after being pulled from the wreckage covered in a white film of dust. "I tried not to lose hope thinking they would eventually find me. I fell asleep from time to time." Muhammet had cuts to his face and body when he was pulled from the rubble and was taken to a hospital for observation. Doctors said he was in good condition but was expected to spend the night in an intensive care unit for observation.
They said Muhammet's survival with no food or water for almost six days was astonishing. Most people can survive for only about two days without water. By sleeping, instead of struggling, he reduced his need for water.
The shroud of rubble covering his body kept him warm through the freezing nights of Konya.
Mr Omer Cevikbas, the head of the rescue team, said he saw the boy's eyes through a crack. "When I looked down from an opening, I saw his eyes. It was amazing. He asked what day it was and told us he was hungry and thirsty," Mr Cevikbas said.
Muhammet's father was shocked. "I had lost all hope, I still cannot believe it," Ahmet said.
Officials have blamed the collapse on shoddy construction and a court on Friday charged two contractors with negligence. The building was five years old.
- AP