Florida couple killed after major earthquake in Turkey | LiveNOW from FOX
Alright everyone, welcome back here on live now from Fox. Unfortunately, we have learned the death toll from Monday morning's earthquake in Turkey in Syria is now up to 25,000 and only expected to rise from here. You are looking at a live image out of Turkey. That is where those recovery efforts are still underway. Some good news though, we did learn that a family of five was actually recently pulled from the rubble five days after that earthquake. They were living in the collapsed basically remains of their home, but they were pulled to safety and all of them are believed to be OK. So there are these miraculous stories that are coming out of that area.
So I do actually want to take you to the latest report from Fox's Greg Palcott. He has been out there bringing us updates on the situation. Here is his latest report. Nearly five days since the earthquake struck the region really on several fronts. The grim death toll mounts now around 25,000. 12,000 buildings have been destroyed or damaged, leaving hundreds of thousands without homes, power, heat. Feeling the political heat, Turkish President Erdogan in the quake zone again, admitting his government has faltered.
Unfortunately, it is a fact that we have not been able to respond as fast as we hoped. Despite some aid now finally reaching northern Syria, residents there battered by years of war are struggling to survive. Syrian President Assad also in the region, blaming the international community. The politicization of the situation is a normal thing, but their human feeling does not exist. Despite all these horrors, rescue workers were still coming up with miracles. Two young children pulled from the rubble in the Turkish town of Nirdagi, a 27-year-old woman found alive in the wreckage of Hatay. And in Ghaziantep, a happy end to a story we first reported Wednesday.
Emergency workers dug through a collapsed apartment building looking for 17-year-old Adnan Mohammed Korkut, his mother, who managed to make it out alive, looked on with terror, until the scene turned to joy early this morning when the teams brought him out. He had made it through some long days in a collapsed basement. I just waited for you all to arrive by myself. Thank God you arrived. Thank you, everyone. His mother, promising to stay close to him forever. God bless my son, who I won't leave alone for an hour.
May everyone be blessed as well. Not everyone is blessed at the site behind us where that team was rescued. Five bodies were recovered on Friday. It's believed six more are buried. And so the teams were gone here, maybe hoping for another miracle, probably accepting the worst. In Ghaziantep, Turkey, Greg Malkov. Fox News.
Alright, we've been checking in with Greg, so we'll try to get in touch with him a bit later on today. A Florida couple is among the more than 25,000 people killed in that major earthquake. Alex and Veronica Ilgin lived in Orlando, Florida, and friends say they were with family in Turkey when the earthquake hit. Alex's best friend says the two were found in each other's arms when they were located in the rubble by his brother. Our Fox 35 Orlando team has more on the couple. He actually had first hands on him to identify him in the rubble, and he said Alex and Veronica, Alex had his arm around Veronica in bed. Orlando couple Alex and Veronica Ilgin were on the third level of this five-story building with their family overseas when Monday's earthquake rocked southern Turkey.
His best friend, Billy Polis, tells me Alex's brother found them in the rubble in each other's arms. It's very comforting to know that they were side by side. He was more in love with her than he would admit to anybody, but it was clear to everybody looking in. They were flawless as a couple. Yeah, flawless. Alex was a mortgage broker and hosted a Bible study. Veronica, a nurse at Orlando Health, they had just gotten married in July and were planning to start a family.
More than 20,000 people were killed in the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria. Polis is now collecting supplies to send to those who survived. Because he knows that's what his friends would have wanted. But kind, unbelievably kind, just selfless in all their actions. And very, always put others before themselves. Polis wishes he could say goodbye. It's hard to think that phone call, whatever it may be, hey, where you at? I'm getting a coffee.
That could be the last time you talk to somebody. I think we need to be to remember how meaningless everything is and appreciate what very little time we all have. In Orlando, Stephanie of Monti Fox 35 News. All right, Stephanie, a great story there. We do appreciate it. Now we do know that a memorial will be held for that couple later on. I believe Monday night over in Orlando, Florida, Matt Trezza with our Fox 35 Orlando Station does have more on that.
The memorial is going to happen here at Cafe 34 Istanbul on International Drive. We're told that a portion of the proceeds from the event are going to go to the Ilgen family and other victims of Turkey's devastating earthquake. Alex and Veronica Ilgen were on the third level of a five-story building with their family overseas when Monday's earthquake rocked southern Turkey. We're told Alex was a mortgage broker and hosted a Bible study. Veronica was a nurse at Orlando Health. They'd just gotten married in July and we're planning to start a family. It's very comforting to know that they were side by side.
He was more in love with it than he would admit to anybody, but it was clear to everybody looking in. They were flawless as a couple. Monday's memorial here at Cafe 34 Istanbul will start at 8 p.m. in Orlando, Matt Trezza, Fox 35 News.
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