Turkish rescuers free dog in miracle rescue 22 days after earthquake
Topics: News, World News, Animals, Dogs
Charisa Bossinakis
Featured Image Credit: OdaTV
Topics: News, World News, Animals, Dogs
A Husky has been freed from the ruins of a building in Turkey more than three weeks after two massive earthquakes levelled cities and left more than 51,000 people dead.
USA TODAY reported that a rescue team pulled Alex the Husky from a decimated two-storey apartment after allegedly surviving on no food or water for three weeks after the 7.8 and 7.6 magnitude quakes.
A video shows Haytap, a Turkish animal rescue agency, lifting the lucky canine from the rubble after they heard cries nearby.
The pup can be seen licking the face of one volunteer as the rescue team can be heard rejoicing over the miracle rescue.
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"Surviving 22 days in that hole without eating or drinking anything is really a miracle," Osman Polatsaid, the Haytap worker who pulled the dog out, told Anadolu, as per USA TODAY.
Alex was taken to the HAYTAP Field hospital, where he received treatment as volunteers gathered around, giving him much love and affection.
While the dog appears to have lost some weight, he remains in good condition.
It has also been confirmed that he is a very good boy.
Alex was rescued from Antakya, southern Turkey, one of the worst affected areas following the devastating earthquake on February 6.
Over the past few weeks, videos have emerged of volunteers rescuing injured and frightened animals; however, the death toll remains unclear.
Kelly Donithan, HSI’s director of animal disaster response, said in a statement: “We’ve been setting up water bowls on street corners as so many roaming animals are suffering from dehydration.
"It’s hard to estimate how many animals have been impacted by this disaster, but the numbers are certainly high.”
“It’s clear that for the people here who have lost everything, to know that their pet companions are safe means a lot and it is humbling for our animal rescue work to be so welcomed by the people we’re meeting in Antakya.”
The death toll has now risen to 50,000 people, and the quake has left more than one million homeless during a cold winter, as per NBC News.
Last week, Turkish authorities began to rebuild homes after more than 160,000 buildings containing 520,000 apartments collapsed or were severely damaged in the natural disaster.
Many survivors have fled the region, while others remain in tents, container homes or government-sponsored facilities.
However, many have reported having trouble accessing more than one tent and wonder when they’ll have a home again.
"I have eight children. We are living in a tent," Melek, who was waiting to collect aid outside a high school in the town of Hassa, told ABC News.
"There is water on top [of the tent] and the ground is damp. We are asking for more tents and they don't give them to us."