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Syrian boy films himself while trapped in rubble after earthquake

APTOPIX Turkey Syria Earthquake
Posted at 4:20 PM, Feb 08, 2023
and last updated 2023-02-08 16:20:04-05

A Syrian boy, trapped in rubble after a powerful earthquake hit in the border region between his country and Turkey, decided to take a video of himself while trapped in a small space.

On Monday a pre-dawn 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck about 70 miles outside of Aleppo in Turkey toppling buildings, trapping residents and killing thousands of people.

Across a southern portion of Turkey and norther Syria the death toll was nearing 12,000 people by Wednesday,

The Syrian boy decided to use what battery he had left in his phone, with the light on, to capture his experience and express his hope of being rescued.

In the background you can hear the calls of others who were trapped as well, according to the boy.

"I don't know if I'll die or stay alive," he said in the video translated and subtitled by Al Jazeera English.

"I don't know how to describe the feeling of someone who's been through this, under the rubble." he said.

As he turns the camera around to show the tight space he is trapped in, he says, "as you can see, this is under the rubble."

At that moment some pieces of the building he is trapped in fall, and grey dust fills the space.

"There are more than two, three or four families and our neighbors. May God help us," he said.

"I can't describe it, it's shaking."

Residents remained afraid to return to buildings that still stood after the powerful earthquake. Many were sleeping in schools and other buildings that were deemed safe.

If you're interested in helping people affected by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, you can find a list of reputable aid organizations on scrippsnews.com.

Doctors without Borders said it has teams working in northwestern Syria, and has a link to donate to the organization on itswebsite.