Dozens of pink balloons speckle the rubble of one of many dozens of hundreds of destroyed buildings in Türkiye’s quake-hit southern area. They are the ultimate tribute to youngsters killed by the earthquake that devastated Antakya, in accordance with Ogun Sever Okur, who’s behind the memorial.
The impact is hanging, the intense balloons contrasting starkly with the dusty gray of the rubble and twisted metallic that after made up a nine-floor constructing.
Against the monochrome backdrop, many possessions attest to the younger lives misplaced within the earthquake.
A purple toy adorned with cartoon pictures of Daisy Duck and Minnie Mouse lay forgotten close to a pink scooter and a fuchsia anorak adorned with love hearts.
“Three children died here. They were 18 months, four years, and six years old,” stated Ogun Sever Okur.
Okur, who grows roses and is a photographer, volunteered as a rescuer within the days after the earthquake in his hometown of Adana earlier than heading to Antakya 200 kilometers (125 miles) away.
“I started here and then moved on to the building behind. This area struck me. I couldn’t sleep for several nights because we couldn’t rescue the children from here,” he stated.
Eight days after the quake, Okur started tying balloons to the ruins within the metropolis of 400,000 individuals, now a ghost city stuffed by diggers and lorries eradicating the rubble.
More than 42,000 individuals have been killed in Türkiye within the earthquake although the figures on what number of of them have been youngsters are nonetheless unknown.
Okur, a father-of-two who stated his work had no political motive, emphasised its sentimental that means. Since 2020, he has supported underprivileged youngsters by his affiliation, offering children with toys and meals, and in some instances, prosthetic limbs or operations.
He stated the balloons have been “the last toy (he could) offer” to younger victims, attaching as many as 1,000 to 5 – 6 buildings in Antakya.
Red balloons sometimes “represent joy, love,” he stated. But in Antakya, after the earthquake, “this is the first time a balloon has made us cry.”
Source: www.dailysabah.com
