Miracle baby born during earthquake plucked to safety as mother trapped during labour dies

7 February 2023, 16:53

By Kieran Kelly

@kellyjourno

A newborn baby is recovering in hospital following her rescue from the rubble of a collapsed building after she was born during the recent 7.8-magnitude earthquake in the Middle East.

Footage from the scene of the devastating earthquake has captured the miracle moment she was rescued from the rubble of a collapsed building in Syria, just minutes after she was born.

She was then bundled to safety in the arms of a rescuer in Jindires, a town in northern Syria, which has been heavily impacted by yesterday's earthquake.

The baby was still found tied to her mother by the umbilical cord, though it is thought the newborn's mum died shortly after giving birth.

The baby is believed to be the sole survivor of her immediately family. The rest of her family members were killed in the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit Turkey and neighbouring Syria.

The pregnant mother was believed to be from Deir Ezzor in eastern Syria, and went into labour during the earthquake which has so-far killed more than 5,000 people, local media has reported.

In the footage, one man throws a green blanket towards the infant's rescuer to keep her warm in freezing temperatures as a crowd watch the miracle moment unfold.

The newborn was rushed to hospital for treatment in the nearby town of Afrin as family members searched for the bodies of the baby's mum and dad, and her four siblings.

It follows the news that three British nationals are missing following the huge earthquake which struck south-eastern Turkey and northern Syria, the Foreign Secretary has said.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said: "We know that three British nationals are missing and the Foreign Office's Crisis Response Hub is working to support the at least 35 British nationals who have been directly affected by these earthquakes.

"We assess that the likelihood of large-scale British casualties remains low."

Emergency services have been working in temperatures of -4 searching for survivors of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake, which hit Turkey and Syria on Monday morning.

So far, at least 5,200 people have died across both countries, as the World Health Organisation (WHO) claiming figures could reach as high as 20,000 by the end of the week.

Mr Cleverly told MP's the Turkish government has requested international aid "on a scale that matches the enormity of the situation that they are facing".

He said: "Across the region inhabited by more than 12 million people, more than 6,000 buildings have collapsed. Electricity and gas infrastructure has been severely damaged.

"Many of the 3.5 million Syrian refugees hosted by Turkey reside in the affected provinces. Turkey's outstanding disaster relief response capability has been severely tested by the sheer scale of this catastrophe.

"The Turkish government has declared a state of emergency and they are requesting international assistance on a scale that matches the enormity of the situation that they are facing.

"Turkey will lead the disaster relief response in the areas of Syria where it has the presence."