He has lived in Vienna since childhood. But Semsettin Sümbültepe was in his family’s Turkish hometown when the devastating earthquake hit…
“Everything is so terrible, so unbelievable,” Semsettin Sümbültepe sobbed into the phone. The 63-year-old pensioner, who has lived in Vienna since childhood, is currently in Iskenderun; a port city that was almost completely destroyed by the earthquake.
The family of the former grocer is from here. Eight of his relatives are dead, they are looking for ten, “about my eldest brother, his wife and their two children. Every day I dig for them.’ In the rubble that remains of their apartment building.
‘I heard my mother screaming for help’
Sümbültepe came to Turkey before the drama started, because last week a close relative had died of a heart attack: “Of course I wanted to be at his funeral.”
How did he experience the earthquake? “I was with my mother in her parents’ house and woke up early in the morning because of the shaking. My bed hit a wall, at first I thought I was having a nightmare. But then I heard my mother calling for help from her bedroom. could collapse”.
It was only later that “we realized the true magnitude of the tragedy.” As he drove through downtown, “and all I saw was rubble, in which desperate people were wandering.” At the same time, relatives contacted him and reported the worst.
On the fate of a niece: “Her husband was killed in masses of concrete.” The “miracle”: The woman and her two children were trapped in a cave for hours and finally managed to free themselves.
The situation now, in Iskenderun? “Bodies are constantly being found, graves are dug, most of the survivors sleep in tents or in cars when the temperature is below zero.” In large parts of the city there is no water, no electricity: “Family members from Adana have our food.” When will Semsettin and Ahmed Sümbültepe return home to Vienna – to her wives and children? “We have no idea. Because we will certainly be needed here for a longer period of time.”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
