N.Y.C. Family Dies While on Trip During Turkey-Syria Earthquake: 'Our Hearts Are Broken'

gofundme

A trip to Turkey ended in death for one New York City family who was visiting when two earthquakes struck the region on Monday, leveling building there and Syria.

The sole survivor in the family is an unnamed man, who attempted to save his family by digging through the rubble himself, according to an interview given by Salma Salazar to CNN. The man was not identified during the broadcast.

The man lives in the town of Elbistan in southern Turkey and "was the only survivor" after his family lost their lives in the natural disaster that killed more than 20,000 people.

Salazar told CNN the man had recently undergone an open-heart procedure and so her sister 32-year-old Kimberly, and Kimberly's husband Burak Firik, 35, and their sons, Hamza, 2 and Bilal, 1, went to visit the man.

RELATED: Mexico Sends Talented Search and Rescue Dogs to Turkey to Help with Earthquake Aftermath

All four family members, as well as Burak's mother, who was not named, died on Monday.

Hasan Huseyin Kul/Anadolu Agency via Getty

"He basically saw his building collapse before his own eyes, and he couldn't do anything," Salazar said of her sister's father-in-law. "He spent over 12 hours digging and just finding people to help him dig because the machines weren't able to go in."

Although she did not say how the family's bodies were discovered, she added: "We're all very broken in my family. Our hearts are broken."

Salazar said her sister was older than herby six years.

"She was very graceful; she as very lovable; she was very passionate about everything she did," Salazar said. "She certainly put everybody's needs above her own. My brother-in-law was very helpful in the community.

Her nephews were young, she said.

"There are no words I can describe how my family is feeling, how they were taken away so soon," she said.

According to a CNN report, the tragedy began after a powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Turkey's central southern Gaziantep province at a depth of 11 miles — making it one of the strongest to hit the region in more than 100 years. It was followed by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock and another 7.5-magnitude quake about 100 miles north of Gaziantep nine hours later.

Following the death of Kimberly and her family on Monday, a GoFundMe campaign was created by her father Edwin Salazar.

RELATED VIDEO: Turkey-Syria Earthquake Death Toll Reaches 20,000: 'We Can Call It the Disaster of the Century'

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

He writes in the fundraiser's description, which has raised almost $20,500 of its $100,000 goal: "I am asking on behalf of my deceased daughter for any help to support her inlaws in Elbistan. She was always a kind soul who would put others needs above her own, and I know this is what she would want to do. Her father-in-law, brother-in-laws, and their children have lost their homes and their entire livelihood."

According to the description, "any money raised will go to support rebuilding a home for them and support their basic living expenses and education."

Meanwhile, Salma Salazar told CNN she wants to bring awareness to what is happening.

"I want people to know that this is a really big problem in Turkey and in Syria and although I lost my family, there are currently still people under there," she said.