Turkey, Syria earthquake: Teen, child pulled alive from rubble as death toll soars above 22,000

A 17-year-old Turkish teenager has been found alive underneath the rubble Friday in Turkey, four days after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the country and Syria, killing more than 22,000. 

Adnan Muhammed Korkut was able to move just a bit in an apartment building’s collapsed basement until he was rescued Friday by first responders in the southern Turkish city of Gaziantep, reports Fox News’ Greg Palkot at the scene. 

“I just waited for you all to arrive by myself. Thank God you arrived, thank you everyone,” Korkut said while lying on a stretcher. 

“God bless my son, he doesn’t leave me alone for an hour,” his mother said, who managed to escape the building collapse herself. “May everyone be blessed as well.” 

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In the nearby city of Kahramanmaras, a four-year-old girl was filmed being rescued from underneath debris on Thursday. 

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Rescue crews could be seen there embracing each other after bringing the child to safety. 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday described the earthquake as “one of the greatest disasters our nation has faced in its history,” according to The Associated Press. 

He added that Turkey’s government will pay rents for one year for people who have been displaced by the disaster and don’t want to live in tents, the news agency also reported.