Two Children Pulled Alive in Dramatic Turkey Quake Rescues

Members of various rescue services carry 3-year-old girl Elif Perincek after she was rescued from the rubble of a building some 65 hours after a magnitude 6.6 earthquake in Izmir, Turkey, Nov. 2, 2020. Istanbul Fire Authority via AP

IZMIR, Turkey—When firefighter Muammer Celik reached a 3-year-old girl trapped for three days under the rubble of a deadly earthquake in a Turkish coastal city, his heart sank. She was lying motionless, covered in dust, and he asked a colleague for a body bag.

But as Celik extended his arm to wipe her face, the child opened her eyes and grabbed hold of his thumb.