'It was a chaotic situation': Toronto man stuck in Turkiye recounts earthquake
Zein Almoghraby ran outside his hotel room in southeast Turkiye when the building began shaking early Monday morning.
Once he stepped into the hallway, the Toronto resident saw people running frantically down the stairs.
"Children were just crying and yelling. It was a chaotic situation," he said in a phone interview from Gaziantep, one of the cities hit hardest by the deadly earthquake that ravaged parts of Turkiye and Syria.
The 7.8 magnitude quake, which was followed by strong aftershocks, has levelled thousands of buildings to the ground across southeastern Turkiye and parts of neighbouring Syria, killing more than 7,700 and wounding thousands.
The death toll is expected to rise even further as search and rescue operations continue.
Almoghraby said aftershocks were still happening as of Tuesday evening.
"You never know when the next earthquake is going to happen," he said. "Whenever an aftershock happens, people just run out in the streets, they go to their cars because it is really cold."
Almoghraby, who is the director of international programs at Journalists for Human Rights, was on assignment with a Canadian colleague to train Syrian refugee journalists when the earthquake hit.
Both he and his colleague have been trying to leave Turkiye ever since, but have not been able to do so despite efforts by Journalists for Human Rights to get them out safely.
Global Affairs Canada did not respond immediately for comment on Tuesday. It said on Monday it had not yet received any requests for help from Canadians related to the earthquake but noted there were 7,513 registered as being abroad in Turkiye and 1,394 in Syria.
Almoghraby said he has taken shelter in a local radio station he worked with as part of Journalists for Human Rights' program. Others who have been displaced by the earthquake are living in temporary shelters such as mosques, sports stadiums and schools, many of which have reached capacity, he said.
Some buildings near where he is sheltering have collapsed, he said, while others that are still standing have been so badly damaged they are no longer safe to seek refuge in.
Almoghraby said he has witnessed rescue teams digging through the rubble down the street from him.
"The most heartbreaking part is that (around) any building that is collapsed, there are civilians standing close to the rescue teams, and those civilians are the families of the people under the rubbles," he said.
He said sometimes the people whose loved ones are missing are helping rescue teams, but other times they just sit and observe the scene hopelessly.
"You can tell with time passing by, these civilians just get quieter and quieter...because they know that each hour, the chances (to get their loved ones out alive) are getting slimmer," he said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday that 13 million of the country's 85 million people were affected by the quake as he declared a state of emergency in 10 provinces.
In Syria, meanwhile, aid efforts have been hampered by the ongoing war and the isolation of the rebel-held region along the border, which is surrounded by Russia-backed government forces.
The Canadian government said Tuesday it will contribute $10 million to relief efforts in Turkiye and Syria as part of an initial aid package.
International Development Minister Harjit Sajjan said the federal government was also looking at providing further aid.
"We are conducting the needs assessment to look at what would be the next steps," Sajjan said, adding that "nothing is off the table."
In an interview late Tuesday, Defence Minister Anita Anand said the federal government has not ruled out sending a Disaster Assistance Response Team, or DART, to help with the recovery effort.
"I am involved in conversations about what more we can do, and those are ongoing conversations across government. We're examining all options and Canada is ready to provide assistance," Anand said.
"All options are being considered. And from a defence perspective, we certainly are looking to (DART) as an option. But I will say that there are a number of possible routes here, and we just want to make sure that what we do provide is useful."
Breanne England, the head of Middle East North Africa region for the Canadian Red Cross, said thousands of the charitable organization's staff and volunteers are on the ground in both Syria and Turkiye to provide emergency life-saving assistance.
"We're focused right now on trying to rescue and search who are stuck in the rubble as well as to provide some life-saving assistance to those who are now homeless and, in the streets," she said.
She said thousands of people remained under the rubble as of Tuesday afternoon and in some cases first responders do not have the proper equipment or machinery to excavate individuals.
"People are literally trying to rescue individuals and family members with their bare hands. It's incredible," she said.
England said there is a need for more financial assistance to address a catastrophe of this magnitude.
"When needs are so great and -- they're going to increase -- we do absolutely need to respond quickly," she said.
"The region has not seen an earthquake like this in over a century, and so the humanitarian response needs to be big."
Providing food, clean water and shelter, and later on psychological support, are among the priorities other than the search and rescue mission.
Turkish Canadians have also stepped in to raise funds and collect donations to send to their country of origin.
Baris Kafadar, the vice-president of the Federation of Canadian Turkish Associations, said the organization has set up a bank account to raise funds, and has set up locations where people can drop off non-monetary donations to be sent abroad.
"What is happening right now is we set up donation centres in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver where people come in, they donate clothing, non-perishable food, toys, safety equipment, sanitary stuff, anything we can basically send back to Turkiye," he said.
"Hopefully we can soon get enough money, find the right place to send the money to," he said.
- With files from The Associated Press
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 7, 2023.
IN DEPTH
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
Trudeau, key election players to testify at foreign interference hearings. What you need to know
The public hearings portion of the federal inquiry into foreign interference in Canadian elections and democratic institutions are picking back up this week. Here's what you need to know.
Who is supporting, opposing new online harms bill?
Now that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's sweeping online harms legislation is before Parliament, allowing key stakeholders, major platforms, and Canadians with direct personal experience with abuse to dig in and see what's being proposed, reaction is streaming in. CTVNews.ca has rounded up reaction, and here's how Bill C-63 is going over.
As Poilievre sides with Smith on trans restrictions, former Conservative candidate says he's 'playing with fire'
Siding with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on her proposed restrictions on transgender youth, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre confirmed Wednesday that he is against trans and non-binary minors using puberty blockers.
TREND LINE What Nanos' tracking tells us about Canadians' mood, party preference heading into 2024
Heading into a new year, Canadians aren't feeling overly optimistic about the direction the country is heading, with the number of voters indicating negative views about the federal government's performance at the highest in a decade, national tracking from Nanos Research shows.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada, G7 urge 'all parties' to de-escalate in growing Mideast conflict
Canada called for "all parties" to de-escalate rising tensions in the Mideast following an apparent Israeli drone attack against Iran overnight.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
'It was all my savings': Ontario woman loses $15K to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
Families to receive Canada Child Benefit payment on Friday
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
After COVID, WHO defines disease spread 'through air'
The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time on what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives.
Taylor Swift drops 15 new songs on double album, 'The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology'
On Friday, the pop star released her 11th album and at 2 a.m. Eastern, she released "The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology," featuring 15 additional songs.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
DEVELOPING G7 warns of new sanctions against Iran as world reacts to apparent Israeli drone attack
Group of Seven foreign ministers warned of new sanctions against Iran on Friday for its drone and missile attack on Israel, and urged both sides to avoid an escalation of the conflict.
Local Spotlight
UBC football star turning heads in lead up to NFL draft
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.
Cat found on Toronto Pearson airport runway 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
Molly on a mission: N.S. student collecting books about women in sport for school library
Molly Knight, a grade four student in Nova Scotia, noticed her school library did not have many books on female athletes, so she started her own book drive in hopes of changing that.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
Marmot in the city: New resident of North Vancouver's Lower Lonsdale a 'rock star rodent'
When Les Robertson was walking home from the gym in North Vancouver's Lower Lonsdale neighbourhood three weeks ago, he did a double take. Standing near a burrow it had dug in a vacant lot near East 1st Street and St. Georges Avenue was a yellow-bellied marmot.
Relocated seal returns to Greater Victoria after 'astonishing' 204-kilometre trek
A moulting seal who was relocated after drawing daily crowds of onlookers in Greater Victoria has made a surprise return, after what officials described as an 'astonishing' six-day journey.
Ottawa barber shop steps away from Parliament Hill marks 100 years in business
Just steps from Parliament Hill is a barber shop that for the last 100 years has catered to everyone from prime ministers to tourists.
'It was a special game': Edmonton pinball player celebrates high score and shout out from game designer
A high score on a Foo Fighters pinball machine has Edmonton player Dave Formenti on a high.
'How much time do we have?': 'Contamination' in Prairie groundwater identified
A compound used to treat sour gas that's been linked to fertility issues in cattle has been found throughout groundwater in the Prairies, according to a new study.