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Teenager records 'last moments' under the rubble, survives

Taha Erdem, who recorded the intense aftershocks during the moments he recorded himself, said in the video, "I'm going to die, the ceiling is above me right now. There are things that I regret very much."

A News TÜRKIYE
Published February 19,2023
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A young man from Adıyaman, who was under the rubble in the 7.7 magnitude earthquake centered in Kahramanmaraş, took his own video among the rubble.

Taha Erdem from Adıyaman was trapped under the rubble of the Zümrüt Apartment, which was the grave of 47 people in the Yeni Sanayi Mahallesi, after the 7.7-magnitude earthquake.

Taha Erdem (17), who woke up during the earthquake and fainted by slamming the door while trying to escape, later woke up with the screams of the people in the building.

When he awoke, he realized that he had a pile of debris on him. 11th-grade student Taha Erdem, who got stuck and couldn't move, shot a video called "my last video" because he thought he couldn't get rid of it.

Taha Erdem, who recorded the intense aftershocks during the moments he recorded himself, said in the video, "I'm going to die, the ceiling is above me right now. There are things that I regret very much."

He was also saying, "O Allah, forgive all my sins", stating that there are constant tremors.

Taha Erdem was pulled out of the rubble with the help of his relatives 2 hours after the earthquake. Erdem's parents, who were slightly injured, were also rescued from the wreckage.

Taha Erdem, describing his experiences, said, "When there was an earthquake, I hit my head on the way to the door, and I fell down. When I opened my eyes, I felt myself in a coffin. I had the ceiling on my back. My legs were buried under the rubble. When I first woke up, I thought it was a dream. Then while I was trying to save myself, I saw that I was in the rubble. I had my phone. I got myself into a short video. There were constant earthquakes while shooting the video. The aftershocks were very severe. Voices were coming from downstairs. I heard the cries of our neighbors."