Turkey-Syria Earthquake: Brothers Survived on Urine and Protein Powder While Trapped in Rubble for 200 Hours
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Two brothers trapped under rubble in the earthquake-devastated city of Kahramanmaras in Turkey have been rescued after a terrifying ordeal.
According to the New York Times, Abdulbaki Yeninar, 21, and Muhammed Enes Yeninar, 17, rationed bodybuilding supplements and drank their urine to survive when they were trapped under debris for nearly 200 hours.
"Breathing was easy," Yeninar told the Ihlas news agency, per the Times. "We took protein powder."
The brothers were among at least nine rescues over a week after the 7.8-magnitude earthquake destroyed buildings and killed tens of thousands in Turkey and Syria on Feb. 6.
According to Turkish state media, one woman, Necla Camuz, and her 10-day-old baby, Yagiz Ulas, were rescued from the rubble of their former home more than 90 hours after the earthquake struck.
More than 35,400 people in Turkey have died due to the earthquake, with 5,800 dead in Syria, Al-Jazeera reported on Tuesday.
Durmus Genc/Anadolu Agency via Getty
"Our search-and-rescue teams pulling out our citizens alive," President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during an address to the nation, according to the Times. "Even after many long hours, is the most important source of consolation amid this dark picture."
RELATED: N.Y.C. Family Dies While on Trip During Turkey-Syria Earthquake: 'Our Hearts Are Broken'
Hisam Hac Omer/Anadolu Agency via Getty
Per CNN, the quake is 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, Turkey, nine hours later.
A surviving relative told CNN that four members of a New York City family visiting Turkey were killed when their building fell during the quake.
RELATED VIDEO: Turkey-Syria Earthquake Death Toll Reaches 20,000: 'We Can Call It the Disaster of the Century'
"There are no words I can describe how my family is feeling, how they were taken away so soon," relative Salma Salazar told the news station.
She later added: "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.
To help earthquake relief efforts in Turkey and Syria, consider donating to these organizations: The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Doctors Without Borders, GlobalGiving, Save the Children, and The Syrian American Medical Society.
