[EN IMAGES] Earthquakes in Syria and Turkey: heartbreaking scenes and human tragedies

Videos of child rescues are surging on social media as rescuers search through debris for survivors in Turkey and Syria after the devastating quakes.

• Read also: “Where is the state?”: grief and anger in Kahramanmaras

• Read also: Living baby linked by umbilical cord to dead mother found in rubble in Syria

• Read also: More than 5,000 dead in the powerful earthquake in Turkey and Syria

In Syria, the White Helmets managed to extract a boy trapped in the rubble of his house, where he had been trapped since the tragic earthquake in Jandairis.

“Come on Haroon, come on,” cried the White Helmets rescuers, gently tugging the boy out of the pile of concrete, Reuters footage shows.

In earthquake-affected areas in northwestern Syria, rescue efforts have been hampered by lack of equipment and freezing conditions.

In Turkey too, relief operations are increasing.

A round of applause erupted when rescuers found a young girl named Umay under the rubble of a collapsed building in Hatay, one of the areas devastated by the earthquake.

The three-year-old girl, dressed in a pink pajama top, was pulled out of the rubble and quickly wrapped in a pink blanket before being taken for a medical examination.

Umay was trapped for hours under the rubble with her pregnant mother and father, according to the Istanbul Municipality which shared the moment on social media.

All three were rescued, the statement added.

“My beautiful daughter Umay, your greeting has warmed us a little. Good news comes from our rescue teams in Hatay. Our backup teams are also on their way,” Istanbul Mayor İmamoğlu said on social media.

Another video showing a rescued child was also posted on social media. Turkish rescuers managed to pull a child out of her collapsed house. The little girl appears weak, but was also taken to hospital for treatment.

The scenes of joy are nevertheless overshadowed by extremely difficult moments. Hundreds of parents are facing the death of their children.

This is particularly the case of Mesut Hancer photographed holding the hand of his 15-year-old daughter, Irmak, who died during the Kahramanmaras earthquake, near the epicenter of the earthquake.

The first 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Turkey and Syria early Monday, toppling apartment buildings, destroying hospitals and leaving thousands injured or homeless.

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