Photo Of 7-Year-Old Girl Protecting Brother Under Debris In Quake-Hit Syria Melts Hearts On Social Media

UN representative Mohamad Safa posted the photo on Twitter, saying that the duo hid under the rubble for 17 hours before emerging safely.

Many netizens were moved by the photos, and many praised the girl for her caring gesture in the midst of a difficult situation.

Source : Twitter/@mhdksafa

A heartwarming photo of a seven-year-old girl shielding her younger brother's head while they were trapped under rubble in Turkey and Syria after the earthquake has gone viral. Mohamad Safa, a UN representative who shared the photo on Twitter, noted that the duo stayed under the rubble for 17 hours before emerging safely.

“The 7-year-old girl who kept her hand on her little brother’s head to protect him while they were under the rubble for 17 hours has made it safely. I see no one sharing. If she were dead, everyone would share! Share positivity…" his tweet read.

The picture shows the sister using her hand to cover her younger brother's head when they were under the rubble.

The 7 year old girl who kept her hand on her little brother's head to protect him while they were under the rubble for 17 hours has made it safely. I see no one sharing. If she were dead, everyone would share! Share positivity... pic.twitter.com/J2sU5A5uvO

— Mohamad Safa (@mhdksafa) February 7, 2023

Many social media users were moved by the image, and many commended the young girl for her generosity. As one user put it, ""Miracles happen. What a great big sister. Lovingly protective under such stressful circumstances. Hope for all those still trapped. Respect for all the rescuers working tirelessly."

"Oh bless her - children's love and resilience makes me weep," another person said.

"OW! She's a little hero!" said the third user.

The 7.8-magnitude earthquake occurred while people were sleeping on Monday, destroying thousands of structures, trapping an unknown number of people, and potentially affecting millions.

The World Health Organisation's director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has cautioned that time is running out for the thousands of people who have been harmed and others who are still feared to be trapped. The number of people killed in the earthquake has risen to 9,500.

Dozens of countries, including the United States, China, and the Gulf States, have committed to assist, and search and relief teams have begun to arrive by air.

Turkey is located in one of the most active seismic zones in the world.

The country's last 7.8-magnitude earthquake occurred in 1939, killing 33,000 people in the eastern Erzincan region.

In 1999, a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck the Turkish area of Duzce, killing almost 17,000 people.

Experts have long warned that a massive earthquake might damage Istanbul, a 16-million-person metropolis with unstable buildings.