The inhabitants of the Syrian city of Aleppo, devastated by years of war, are rushing to bury their dead and, at the same time, They pray for those still alive under the rubble after Monday’s devastating earthquake.
In the Bustan al-Qasr neighborhood, a group of rescuers, soldiers and volunteers try to clear the rubble from a building in the cold.
When they manage to create a small opening, one of them, covered in dust, yell to see if there is a survivorS. A voice answers and immediately asks him to guide him so that he can reach him.
Near the ruins, Oum Ibrahim recites a rosary and wipes his eyes with a handkerchief. Several relatives wait beside him.
just pray
“I hope the rescuers have my children buried underground. They are seven. I trust in GodThe 56-year-old woman spent the night in a car parked near the building.
When the earthquake hit the city early Monday, it stormed through the area. “I haven’t eaten or drank anything since. How could I if my children are hungry underground?”she asks through tears.
Mahmoud Ali also arrived shortly after the building collapsed, while it was still dark. You lose patience with the slowness of the rescue.
“My family didn’t have time to leave the building. They are under the rubble,” he says. “I heard their phones ringing when I called them, and then nothing, they definitely don’t have any more battery (…)”, she says. “I hope they hold out until the bulldozer arrives”Add.
Next to him is Oum Mohammad, a woman with a woolen scarf covering her shoulders. She is also anxiously waiting to find out if her sister and her four children are still alive.
“They didn’t have time to go out.maybe they’re stuck on the stairs,” he says, after sleeping on the street.
“The earthquake is more difficult than the war. During the war the bullet falls and it’s over. But now we don’t know anything anymore (…)” Bustan al-Qasr still bears the scars of war. The neighborhood was at the center of the fighting when Aleppo was still divided in two.
On one side the areas controlled by the rebels, on the other those of the army. In December 2016, government forces took control of the city.
Shops and restaurants remain closed in this devastated city. Many inhabitants, who have spent the night in parks, convents or cars despite the freezing temperatures, Now they are back home.
Many buildings in Aleppo, located in northern Syria less than 60 km from Turkey, have collapsed after the earthquake.
World Heritage
The old city, included in the UNESCO list of world heritage in danger, was seriously damaged, as was its famous citadel, which dominates the town.
The earthquake caused more than 6,000 deaths in these two countries, according to the latest reports.
In one of the cemeteries, undertakers prepared the graves of the victimsYes, an AFP reporter at the scene said.
Trucks – including that of an ice cream seller, in the absence of ambulances – moved the bodies recovered from the rubble.
The victims are buried in haste.
A group of men from the same family arrives with six bodies in white plastic bags. They put them on the ground, next to each other. They perform a prayer before burying them.
Another group follows, this time with eleven bodies. They all belong to the same family.
The cemetery manager is asked to reserve a place for another body. He has not yet been removed from the rubble.
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.