A father who was photographed holding the hand of his 15-year-old daughter under earthquake rubble in Kahramanmaras this week said she died at the moment of the earthquake with no chance to escape.
Speaking to Turk on Saturday, Mesut Hancer said he lost other family members in the earthquake including his mother, two older brothers and one sister-in-law.
Hancer said he was able to get to his daughter three days after the earthquake. She had been visiting her paternal grandmother in Kahramanmaras.
“It was very bad. I went there just as soon as I heard. I tried alone, with my hands to pull my daughter out but unfortunately I couldn’t rescue my daughter,” Hancer told Turk.
He said his daughter’s body above her waist had been outside the rubble but the rest was under the rubble. Authorities were unable to bring a construction lift to help pull out her body and a man helped him dig his daughter’s body out.
Hancer also told CNN Turk he is currently without a home due to the damage that occurred on his house.
