Turkey-Syria earthquake: Photo of Syrian girl protecting brother under rubble goes viral
They had been trapped under the rubble of a collapsed building for over 17 hours
Rescue teams were in a race against time as they scrambled to reach people still trapped under rubble or injured without help in the areas of southern Turkey and northern Syria hit hardest by the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that devastated the region.
With more than 7,000 deaths and 30,000 injured people recorded by the evening - figures expected to continue to rise - Monday's quake, along with its 7.5-magnitude follow-up, is already one of the deadliest of the 21st century. On Tuesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a state of emergency across 10 regions that would last three months.
The death toll is expected to rise as rescuers working in cold and snow look for trapped people in the rubble of toppled buildings.
In the wake of destruction and loss of life, a photo of a 7-year-old Syrian girl protecting her brother has gone viral.
UN representative Mohamad Safa posted the picture on Twitter and said the children had been trapped under rubble for 17 hours.
“The 7-year-old girl who kept her hand on her little brother's head to protect him while they were under the rubble for 17 hours has made it safely. I see no one sharing. If she were dead, everyone would share! Share positivity,” Safa tweeted.
Many netizens praised the girl for her compassionate gesture in the distressing situation after seeing the photograph. While both were applauded for being brave, the girl was viewed as the hero of her younger brother. To protect her brother from the disaster, she lay under the debris and covered him with her arms.
Many netizens praised the girl for her compassionate gesture in the distressing situation after seeing the photograph.