Serkan Boynueğri’s nephew and brother-in-law trying to stay warm inside a car. Photo provided by Serkan Boynueğri

A Turkish barber living in Malta has lost his cousin in the earthquake and his cousin’s young son was on Wednesday still under the rubble of a 12-storey building.

Another has spoken of two cousins dead and family members injured, trying to survive in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake.

My cousin, who lived on the second floor of the 12-storey building in Kahramanmaraş, died, even after my brother rescued him from the rubble- Serkan Boynuegri

The barber, Serkan Boynueğri, is one of the many Turkish residents who have been left feeling helpless as they watch the news of flattened cities and thousands dead from the major earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria on Monday.

Boynueğri, who has been living in Malta for seven years, said the apartment block was one of the hundreds that collapsed.

“My cousin, who lived on the second floor of the 12-storey building in Kahramanmaraş, died, even after my brother rescued him from the rubble,” Boynueğri said.

“His wife is also in serious condition. Their two-year-old daughter was rescued in the first few hours but their eight-year-old son is still under the rubble. Rescuers are trying to reach him.”

The homes of his parents, two brothers and two sisters have all been destroyed by the tremor.

“The home of one of my sisters was destroyed in the second earthquake,” he said.

He said his other family members spent the first night in their cars and were now in tents with other relatives in the neighbouring village of Karaelbistan.

“The whole city is in ruins,” he said, adding that due to the lack of power, keeping in touch with his relatives has been a challenge.

Food shortages and no heating

“There is also no heating and food shortages have started,” he said.

“There is snow and the temperatures drop to as low as -15C at night. Another problem is that there is no fuel for vehicles and aid is very limited.”

Another Turkish resident in Malta, Dursun Bozkurt, also lost relatives in the devastating quakes.

“We lost a cousin who is single and another with her husband and children,” he said.

“The family members who have survived have multiple wounds and the older ones who suffer from heart conditions and diabetes are suffering from shock and have lost their medicines so are in need of medical care too.

“Their homes are gone, but I am thankful they are alive,” he said.

Ezgi Araç’s family home was damaged after the earthquake hit on Monday. Photo: Provided by Ezgi Araç

‘My family left home with nothing’

Ezgi Araç was asleep when her 65-year-old father, Galip, messaged her about the massive earthquake that woke them up in the middle of the night.

“They woke up and they just left the house without taking anything and waited inside the car,” Araç said.

The 32-year-old last saw her family six months ago, just before she moved to Malta to study English.

“When I woke up (on Monday), I saw my father messaging me telling me not to worry. I called my mother, and she was crying. I called relatives and friends one by one, and they were all in tears.”

Her family, along with her mother, Canan, younger brother, Mert and their aunt, live in the province of Elazığ and they all had to leave their homes after the earthquake shook their buildings.

Her family told her that everything in their home – the home Araç grew up in – was broken and that they did not feel safe to move back.

Now, her family are living in a hotel but have no indication when it will be safe to move back.

She said that while her family were left unscathed from Monday’s earthquake, they are under a lot of stress and shock.

“For now, they are staying in a hotel in the city. On Tuesday they went back to the house to collect some clothes but suddenly another earthquake started, and they left again,” Araç said.

“It is so hard to live so far away from them, I am always scared that something will happen to them.”

Galip, who works for a political party, has been helping the community by collecting water, food and warm clothing for those who have been affected by the earthquake.

Her brother has travelled an hour to go to the next town, Malatya, which has also been heavily damaged by the earthquake, to help people there.

Malatya is the town where Maltese rescuers are helping Turkish teams to locate victims under the debris.

“It has been very difficult seeing everything they are going through and unable to do anything,” Araç said.

‘Not enough being done for Syrian victims’

Taleb Zaidan, the president of Syrians Solidarity in Malta, said there was not enough awareness or aid for the Syrians who have been impacted by the earthquake.

“Syrian people were already in need before Monday’s earthquakes took place... now they are in need of aid more than ever,” he said.

Zaidan said that he has been in contact with NGO SOS Malta to see when volunteers can go to Syria to provide aid to those in need.

The Salesians of Don Bosco said they are helping earthquake victims in Syria.

“Hundreds of buildings have collapsed, and the number of victims is now estimated over 2,500, plus hundreds are still missing under the rubble and thousands injured,” Fr Alejandro Leon, Provincial of the Salesians in the Middle East, said in a statement.

The Salesians have been working in Aleppo since the beginning of the war in 2011 and are now committed to assisting and helping the earthquake victims who come to them.

The Aleppo Salesian Centre suffered limited damage from cracks and some broken windows, but the Salesians and people living there are all safe. Yesterday, more than 300 people were being hosted at the centre.

The Salesians in Malta have launched an appeal for donations to help the people of Aleppo.

Donations can be sent to:

Salesian Aleppo Earthquake Appeal Don Bosco Foundation, 10, St John Bosco Street, Sliema.

Name of bank: APS Bank Address of Bank: Tower Road,  Sliema.

IBAN: MT85APSB77013000000043645620013. BIC: APSBMTMT