Woman rescued 170 hours after wreck
Turkish emergency services worked through nearly seven days and nights to reach a 40-year-old woman buried beneath the rubble of a collapsed building in Gaziantep. The remarkable rescue came after about 170 hours of relentless search efforts following powerful earthquakes that struck the southern region near the Syrian border last week. The operation showcased the intense coordination of disaster response teams, urban search and rescue units, and medical personnel who pushed forward despite the deteriorating conditions in Islahiye district. The rescue was confirmed by Anadolu Agency, which reported the critical moment when the survivor was finally located and stabilized for onward care. The hours-long saga underscores the daunting challenges that accompany large-scale building collapses in seismic events, especially as flip sides of hope and danger unfold in the same city blocks where families once lived and worked. The incident is part of a broader search for survivors that continues across the region as teams maintain a grueling tempo to identify living victims amid the rubble, a process that grows more difficult with each passing hour.
Sibel Kaya, aged 40, spent 170 hours trapped after the Islahiye district wreckage came crashing down. Rescue crews persisted with search strategies that combine canine teams, thermal imaging, and careful manual probing to locate any signs of life beneath the debris. Reports from state media describe the moments when Kaya was finally reached, extricated, and stabilized for immediate medical attention. Anadolu Agency documented the operations and emphasized the dedication of the crews who braved hazardous conditions to bring hope to a site where every minute counted. The lengthy rescue highlights the importance of rapid deployment of trained personnel and the availability of equipment capable of operating in unpredictable environments, especially in the wake of aftershocks and continuing seismic activity.
As the region confronts aftershocks and the ongoing possibility of more collapses, emergency services reiterate that the window for survival in disaster settings is narrow. The conventional benchmark of 72 hours is a guideline that professionals use, but the reality in complex urban collapses can extend with the right combination of luck, skill, and equipment. While many villages and towns across Gaziantep and neighboring provinces mobilize to support rescue efforts, teams remain focused on identifying people who may still be alive, pulling survivors from stairwells, balconies, and collapsed floors, and ensuring that medical teams are on standby to treat dehydration, hypothermia, and other life-threatening conditions. Anadolu Agency and local authorities continue to provide updates on the evolving search and rescue operation, stressing the need for sustained cooperation among municipal services, police, fire departments, and humanitarian organizations to maximize every chance of a successful rescue. The long duration of Kaya’s ordeal has drawn attention to the resilience of the community and the commitment of responders who work around the clock to restore safety and offer compassion to affected families.