Key Points
- Many people in Türkiye and Syria are still waiting to learn the fate of their loved ones after Monday's earthquake.
- Some miracle rescues are emerging from the disaster, while others' searches end in tragedy.
- Three Australians are among those reported to have died in Türkiye.
Every now and then, the rescuers sifting through the rubble of destroyed buildings in Adana in Türkiye's south turn their machines off and scream out for total silence.
Then, in Turkish, they call out in unison: "Can anyone hear us?"
They wait for a long moment, hoping to hear a reply from the beneath the ruins.
When none comes, they resume working.
"My daughter was living in this building," local resident Nurten tells SBS News, pointing to the same ruins.
"When she didn't call me, I was worried. I called her and she didn't pick up. And so far, she hasn't answered her phone."
Nurten's two granddaughters, aged 16 and 18, are sleeping by her side.
They have refused to leave the footpath outside their mother's apartment building since they learned it had come crashing down.
"They are waiting with hope," Nurten says.
"The eldest daughter says, 'Without my mother, I can't sleep'.
"The children need their mother. Maybe a miracle is going to happen."
Less than a hundred metres away, a miracle has just happened for Taylan.
Four of his close friends were living in another building brought down during the earthquake.
More than 72 hours later, he learns two of them have just been pulled from the rubble.
"They found two people, injured, but alive," Taylan says.
"God willing, they are going to find the rest of the family."
Taylan rushed off, phone in hand, calling his friends and family to tell them the good news.
Moments like that give a dose of desperately needed hope to the rest of the families still hoping their loved ones will defy the odds and be found alive.
Layla has been camped outside the same collapsed building for four days.
Her sister is trapped in the ruins.
"I couldn't sleep all night, and I witnessed a lady get rescued," Layla says.
"It was like my sister got rescued. I was just as happy."
Between prayers and tears, the families of the missing try to make sense of what has happened.
Some believe it could have been avoided.
Türkiye has been collecting earthquake tax for more than 20 years, after another devastating disaster struck the country’s north west and killed more than 17,000 people.
The government has raised $6.5 billion for disaster prevention since.
Ahmet is wondering where his taxes have gone.
"We've been aware of the situation for 20 years," he says.
"Our government pretended not to know about it. They haven't taken any precautions.
"They don't want to spend the money and help us."
More than 23,000 people across Türkiye and Syria are confirmed to have died as a result of Monday's 7.8 magnitude earthquake.
Three Australians were among those reported to have died in Türkiye.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said it was providing help to the families of an Australian woman and man whose remains have been identified by family members on the ground.
"We send our deepest condolences to their loved ones," the department said in a statement on Saturday.
The man is believed to be Melbourne grandfather Suat Bayram.
His relatives in Australia posted a tribute to him on Facebook, saying they were devastated by the news.
"We lost our beloved father and grandfather. Our pain is too immense. We ask everyone to respect our pain and leave us alone with it for a while," relative Ebru Hudaverdi wrote.
Relatives of Sydney man Can Pahali, who was reported dead earlier this week, still hold hope he will be found alive.
DFAT said his death was yet to be confirmed by his family or local authorities.
"We are in close contact with his family and providing consular assistance."
SBS News journalist Claudia Farhart filed this report from Adana, Türkiye.
