'Still many people in the rubble': Victoria man worries for family after devastating Turkiye earthquakes
A Victoria man says a series of devastating earthquakes in Turkiye and Syria have left him feeling nearly paralyzed, as the death toll from the quakes rises above 6,200 people.
In a span of 10 hours, Turkiye saw more than 30 earthquakes, according to Victoria man Kemal Evci, most of them around magnitude-6.0
The first earthquake occurred Monday and registered at magnitude 7.8. Around nine hours later, a second large quake measured magnitude 7.5.
Evci says his family members, who live in a town about two hours away from the initial earthquake's epicenter, are safe.
However, roads across the country have been severely damaged, and the only way to get in and out of his hometown is by air.
"At first I received a text message that said, 'We are fine,'" Evci told CTV News on Tuesday.
"I was so worried, even before asking them I just Googled what's happening in Turkiye and in my hometown," he said.
Even though his immediate family is uninjured, he says he's concerned about their access to food and shelter. He notes that temperatures are frigid and that the region has seen snowfall leading up to the quakes.
"Eighty per cent of the buildings in the city centre of my hometown are gone," said Evci.
"There are still many people in the rubble," he added.
He says he reached out to other friends and family members in the hours following the earthquakes.
"One of my friends was actually in the rubble when he was texting me," he said. The friend was able to escape the wreckage of the earthquake, as was Evci's aunt, who also managed to crawl out of a collapsed building.
"Even my aunt who got out of the rubble, she had issues with her back getting out, and she couldn't get [medical] help because people were dying in hospitals," he said.
Victoria man Kemal Evci, whose friends and family were caught in the earthquakes in Turkiye, is shown. (CTV News)
EMERGENCY SERVICES
Evci notes that many hospitals were damaged in the earthquake, as were some airports and roads, making it difficult for emergency supplies and personnel to travel across the country.
Internet and cell service is also spotty following the natural disaster.
Between a lack of emergency services, a lack of shelter, limited food and water, and chilly weather, Evci says many people in Turkiye are "just trying to survive."
Anyone interested in donating money to support earthquake relief efforts can do so at a charity organization called AHBAP, which Evci says is reputable.
'WAKE UP CALL'
Evci, who has been living in Canada for more than three years, says the devastating earthquakes should be a "wake up call" for British Columbians, especially those who live on the coast along the Cascadia subduction zone.
He says B.C.'s health-care system would not be able to cope with a natural disaster on the scale that Turkiye has just seen.
Individuals should also have preperations for if a natural disaster strikes, like having food and water available, Evci recommends.
"If this started on the other side of the world, I'm sure it's going to happen in other places too," he said.
Evci says he's unsure what the next steps are for his family in Turkiye, both in the short term and in the long term.
"Psychologically, I'm not sure how they're going to recover," he said. "I felt an earthquake once, it was a 6.1, and it took months for me to recover and feel safe at home."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Body of Quebec man who died in Cuba found in Russia, family confirms
A Montreal-area family confirmed to CTV News that the body of their loved one who died while on vacation in Cuba is being repatriated to Canada after it was mistakenly sent to Russia.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Saskatchewan isn't remitting the carbon tax on home heating. Why isn't my province following suit?
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
RCMP officers had no legal authority to enter man's home, make arrest: B.C. court
A B.C. man has been found not guilty of assaulting two RCMP officers – with the court finding he was resisting an "unlawful entry and arrest" in his home before he was tasered, taken down and hauled away in handcuffs.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.