Never have I been so disenchanted with television as I have been the past few days. I’m literally haunted by the scenes on television. The casualties here are simply mind-boggling. If you ask a random person on the street, huge chances are they have either lost a friend, or a family relative or know someone who is on life support. Literally.
I just asked this woman how she was coping with the tragic incidents. She replied: ‘I have lost 6 of my relatives.’
‘Life continues.’ she added.
She then gave me a lukewarm smile and just stared blankly into thin air fully immersed in her thoughts.
‘I can’t explain how I feel, it’s too much to bear’ she lamented.
In Kahramanmaraş, another guy, Sadi Uçar sobbingly narrated:
‘This is where I lived’ pointing to his damaged house.
‘It was a new apartment. We just bought these two units a few weeks ago.’
He added: ‘I dug through the rubble with my hands and took out my mother and father. Afterward, I had to bury them with my own hands.’
There was a chill down my spine as he narrated his story. Listening to thousands of people like him, you might think their stories are beautifully rehearsed scripts of a Hollywood movie scene. Till you realize they are REAL.
Life is ruthless. Cold-blooded.
Some things in life, you just have to experience them. No amount of forethought or proactiveness can prepare you.
My whole life, I have never come across a society that is as earthquake conscious as the Turks. Children as little as 5 years old are taught how to survive an earthquake, should one occur. Every year as part of their curriculum, teachers run an earthquake simulation drill for all students (elementary-high school) to create awareness.
While I was studying structural engineering at uni, there was not a day we didn’t discuss earthquakes in class. Not a single day. God is my witness.
You just live through life sometimes; for better or worse.
I once worked on a project analysis where I wrote a 49-page report about the correlation between seismic activity and structural integrity in earthquake-prone zones last year. The modal and seismic analysis of the structure were taken into consideration and done according to Turkish Seismic Codes (TSC 2018). I posted the abstract on my LinkedIn page for interested persons.
In 1999, Turkey experienced one of its most devastating earthquakes, a 7.4 magnitude earthquake occurred in the Marmara region on the Northern Anatolian Fault Line (KAF) which claimed the lives of about 18,000 people.
The epicenter of that unfortunate incident was where I studied, Izmit.
On the 17th of August annually, a vigil is held to commemorate the death of thousands that were killed on that day.
While gathering data, I spoke to about 6 earthquake victims who had seen everything during the Marmara Earthquake. One of the victims who happens to be my next-door neighbor is a widow in her mid 50’s. She vividly described how everything happened, how her apartment came crumbling on her, her tumultuous rescue mission, post-trauma, everything.
The most difficult part in her own words was when she had to stay in a tent for several months before she was relocated to an apartment allocated to her by the municipality. No kidding!
Same with the other 5 victims I spoke with. They all shared livid experiences. It was a bonding of memory and shared experiences.
Some of the things they said, it was as though they were narrating urban legends. Weaving through their stories, never had it ever crossed my mind I would experience an incident like this in my entire life while being in this country. It was simply far-fetched. But life comes at you real fast, I guess.
You can touch many lives by making a donation to the earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria. Very simple. Just reach out to AFAD or AHBAP, the most active and credible charity network in that region, across various platforms. Don’t be a passive mourner. Love and Guidance
One question that keeps bothering my mind amidst all the chaos is: why build such high rise buildings and apartments knowing very well your geology and your history with earthquakes?