Loic Bargibant and his team of French rescuers began searching for survivors amid the rubble of collapsed buildings in the historic Turkish city of Antakya on Thursday morning. But after more than two days they had found none.
Mr Bargibant, 47, head of an association of French rescuers called Secouriste Francais Croix Blanche, and a veteran of disaster responses around the world, refused to give up hope.
“In Haiti, people were even found after 28 days," he told The National.
Antakya, in Hatay province, is one of the places hardest hit by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck south-east Turkey early on Monday. By Saturday, the death toll in Turkey and neighbouring areas of northern Syria had passed 24,000.
“The scale of devastation is worse than what I saw in 1999," Mr Bargibant said as he examined a crumpled home.
Monday's earthquake is considered the worst disaster to hit Turkey since the 1999 tremor that killed more than 17,000 in the country.
Mr Loic's team of 15 rescuers and two dogs are only a small part of the enormous assistance effort mobilised by countries across the world. According to Turkey's Foreign Ministery, 99 countries have offered some form of help, with 68 sending a total of 8,236 search and rescue personnel.
The UN said on Wednesday that the chances of finding people alive dropped after 60 hours, but Mr Bargibant said people trapped in the rubble could generally survive for up to 10 days.
“The people who were the most accessible have already been pulled out," he said. "Those who remain need more advanced means, as moving the rubble can aggravate the situation."
On Friday afternoon, as they climbed over rubble and made their way through narrow debris-filled alleys, one of the team raised an alarm.
“Smoking is forbidden, don’t light anything," he shouted, pointing to gas bottles lying nearby as a distinctive smell of rotten eggs filled the air.
“There is a risk of gas leaking," Mr Bargibant explained.
They resumed their search after using a detector to check that the level of gas was safe.
“We got information that a couple and their three kids used to live in this building and that they were missing," said Marin Chesnoy, one of the rescuers, indicating a mound of rubble.
“Is there anyone here?” a translator shouted repeatedly in Turkish.
“First, we are calling by voice to see if there is a reaction," Mr Chesnoy explained.
“In case we hear something, we then use specialised gear to detect sounds. If there are positive signals, we send the dog who can smell human presence, then a camera to get a good view of the survivor. The final phase is to move the rubble and try to secure a safe access to extract the person."
Their search dog Lasko, a 7-year-old German Shepherd with two years of training, strained at his leash and panted with excitement.
“It's like a game, they are playing hide and seek, people are hidden and they have to find them, and the reward is when the person is pulled out," said Mr Bargibant.
The team suddenly pleaded for silence as they heard some sounds coming from the rubble. Lasko was unleashed, but did not find any sign of life under the flattened house.
On Saturday, they reported another possible find. "We are currently on a site where we have positive feedback on our listening devices, but we need to drill several slabs," Mr Bargibant said.
Even after five days, relatives of the missing in Antakya were not giving up hope that survivors could still be found.
Gulsen Kurt, 34, has slept for several days in front of a site being cleared of rubble where her husband's family lived. She came all the way from Istanbul, she said.
"Yesterday I could hear their voices, I still have hope," she said.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
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Available: Now
The five pillars of Islam
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
At Eternity’s Gate
Director: Julian Schnabel
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Oscar Isaacs, Mads Mikkelsen
Three stars
What's in the deal?
Agreement aims to boost trade by £25.5bn a year in the long run, compared with a total of £42.6bn in 2024
India will slash levies on medical devices, machinery, cosmetics, soft drinks and lamb.
India will also cut automotive tariffs to 10% under a quota from over 100% currently.
Indian employees in the UK will receive three years exemption from social security payments
India expects 99% of exports to benefit from zero duty, raising opportunities for textiles, marine products, footwear and jewellery
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Lexus LX700h specs
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Expert advice
“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”
Stewart Howison, co-founder of Cycle Safe Dubai and owner of Revolution Cycles
“When you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes from your body. If your electrolytes drop enough, you will be at risk of cramping. To prevent salt deficiency, simply add an electrolyte mix to your water.”
Cornelia Gloor, head of RAK Hospital’s Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Centre
“Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can ride as fast or as far during the summer as you do in cooler weather. The heat will make you expend more energy to maintain a speed that might normally be comfortable, so pace yourself when riding during the hotter parts of the day.”
Chandrashekar Nandi, physiotherapist at Burjeel Hospital in Dubai
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Result
UAE (S. Tagliabue 90 1') 1-2 Uzbekistan (Shokhruz Norkhonov 48', 86')
Petrarch: Everywhere a Wanderer
Christopher Celenza,
Reaktion Books
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Manchester United v Barcelona, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
The figures behind the event
1) More than 300 in-house cleaning crew
2) 165 staff assigned to sanitise public areas throughout the show
3) 1,000 social distancing stickers
4) 809 hand sanitiser dispensers placed throughout the venue
RESULT
West Brom 2 Liverpool 2
West Brom: Livermore (79'), Rondón (88' )
Liverpool: Ings (4'), Salah (72')
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Opening Premier League fixtures, August 14
- Brentford v Arsenal
- Burnley v Brighton
- Chelsea v Crystal Palace
- Everton v Southampton
- Leicester City v Wolves
- Manchester United v Leeds United
- Newcastle United v West Ham United
- Norwich City v Liverpool
- Tottenham v Manchester City
- Watford v Aston Villa
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
MATCH INFO
Everton v Tottenham, Sunday, 8.30pm (UAE)
Match is live on BeIN Sports
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
Ads on social media can 'normalise' drugs
A UK report on youth social media habits commissioned by advocacy group Volteface found a quarter of young people were exposed to illegal drug dealers on social media.
The poll of 2,006 people aged 16-24 assessed their exposure to drug dealers online in a nationally representative survey.
Of those admitting to seeing drugs for sale online, 56 per cent saw them advertised on Snapchat, 55 per cent on Instagram and 47 per cent on Facebook.
Cannabis was the drug most pushed by online dealers, with 63 per cent of survey respondents claiming to have seen adverts on social media for the drug, followed by cocaine (26 per cent) and MDMA/ecstasy, with 24 per cent of people.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog
Hometown: Birchgrove, Sydney Australia
Age: 59
Favourite TV series: Outlander Netflix series
Favourite place in the UAE: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque / desert / Louvre Abu Dhabi
Favourite book: Father of our Nation: Collected Quotes of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
Thing you will miss most about the UAE: My friends and family, Formula 1, having Friday's off, desert adventures, and Arabic culture and people
West Asia Premiership
Dubai Hurricanes 58-10 Dubai Knights Eagles
Dubai Tigers 5-39 Bahrain
Jebel Ali Dragons 16-56 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
