Turkiye Earthquake: The deadly earthquake in Turkiye and Syria has created massive destruction by taking over 46,000 lives which is still expected to increase further as the days pass. Despite several miraculous rescues, workers are still finding dead bodies under the rubble.
While everyone is expecting and praying to save as many lives as possible, one rescue worker in Turkiye prays to find bodies under the rubble. The reason is the families of those who lost their lives.
42-year-old bulldozer operator Akin Bozukurt travelled to Kahramanmaras, the southern Turkish city closest to the epicentre of the devastating quake 12 days ago from his hometown of Kayseri, 250 km (155 miles) north, to help with the demolition of destroyed buildings, reported Reuters.
He consoles himself that by finding bodies under the debris, he gives families a chance to have a funeral for their loved ones, and a grave where they can mourn properly. A means to have a final say.
According to Reuters, he says, "Would you pray to find a dead body? We do...to deliver the body to the family."
"You recover a body from under tonnes of rubble. Families are waiting with hope...they want to have a burial ceremony. They want a grave," Bozkrut said.
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According to Islamic tradition, the dead should be buried as quickly as possible, mentioned Reuters. Reports suggest that the graveyard in the city are vastly outnumbered as the devastation due to the catastrophe was massive.
Bozkurt said that while he was at work with his bulldozer, a father, warming himself at a fire by the ruins of his former home, asked him to find his daughter.
"He told us, 'please find a piece of her so I would know where her grave is'. This is really tragic," he said, as quoted by Reuters.
"We are trying to find happiness from the saddest moment in their lives," Bozkurt mentioned signifying the importance of his prayings.
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