What the earthquake destroyed in the heart of one Turkish city

The damage in Marash is just a sliver of the wreckage seen across southern Turkey and northwestern Syria. The earthquake was one of the most powerful ever recorded in the region, about the same magnitude as a 1939 earthquake in Turkey that killed more than 30,000 people.

Residents search for their relatives in the rubble of a collapsed building in Kahramanmaras. (Emin Ozmen/The New York Times)

Whole blocks near the city’s center have been reduced to rubble. Cars line the roads, with people — whose homes were destroyed or who feel unsafe staying in damaged or vulnerable buildings — sleeping inside the vehicles. The city’s soccer stadium has been turned into an aid distribution point, where displaced families shelter in tents. A nearby hospital once surrounded by buildings now stands alone.

The president of Turkey visited survivors at the stadium Wednesday. He acknowledged that rescue efforts had been slowed by blocked roads and airport infrastructure issues and said more help was on the way.

For days, rescue teams and family members have been working through rubble of collapsed buildings throughout the city. Many survivors are angry that it has taken so long for heavy machinery to arrive as they search for loved ones trapped in the destruction.

Mine Kaya, who survived three days under the rubble of her home, was treated at a clinic run by Indian medical personnel in Iskenderun. (Sergey Ponomarev/The New York Times)

Many of the collapsed structures are eight- to 10-story apartment buildings that are common in the city.

On many blocks, only a few buildings remain. Freezing temperatures have made rescue efforts more difficult and have increased the urgency to find those still missing.

Central Marash, where much of the destruction happened, was densely populated with apartment buildings, often with retail stores and restaurants on the ground level.

A man receives treatment at a medicine distribution point in Antakya, in the hard-hit Hatay province of Turkey. (Sergey Ponomarev/The New York Times)

According to reports from the Turkish government, Kahramanmaras province, where Marash is located, was among the hardest-hit regions. This past week, a three-month state of emergency went into effect for 10 of Turkey’s 81 provinces, including Kahramanmaras. As of Thursday afternoon, the province has reported more than 4,800 people dead and nearly 10,000 others injured. Death counts in Turkey and Syria are expected to rise as rescue teams continue their search.