An individual who may have lost 30 members of his family in the Turkey-Syria earthquake has traveled outside of the UK to offer his assistance.
Suleyman Yildirim is making his way to his hometown of Hatay in Turkey, which is close to the border, from Stanley in County Durham.
He is bringing his brother along, and if the authorities permit them, they intend to stay for two weeks while providing aid and "helping with the rescue mission.".
As of this Monday, 35,000 people have died as a result of the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria.
The UN is issuing a warning that the actual number of fatalities will likely be at least twice as high as the current total.
It is extremely tense, according to Mr. Yildrim, 39. The rubble still contains people. Thankfully, everyone in my immediate family is fine.
"So far, 16 members of our extended family have died, and I anticipate that another 14 are still trapped beneath the rubble.
"Until the contrary is proven, there is still hope.
"I need to come here so that I can help as many people as I can. The city is currently being attempted to be evacuated, but various sources indicate that there may be another earthquake. It is not yet confirmed. There is no infrastructure, and living conditions are terrible.
"We'll try to assist people in fleeing, and if they allow us to, we'll aid in the rescue effort for the authorities.
The task won't be simple. That much is obvious to us. We're willing to go in and assist in the rescue of residents because we want to help people leave the town. ".
At Newcastle Central Station where their journey began, Mr. Yildrim and his brother bid their loved ones farewell.
We were all experiencing a wide range of emotions, he claimed.
Although it was difficult to leave the family behind, we were also going to help other family members. They're fine and holding up just fine. It was challenging, particularly for our wives and kids.
"We plan to stay for at least two weeks. We are accountable for our actions in the UK. We will make every effort to achieve our goals so that we can return home to our families.
It won't be pleasant, I'm afraid. People under buildings and dead bodies in bags awaiting identification. ".
According to the UN, the rescue phase of its operations was "coming to a close," and the emphasis had now shifted to providing for survivors.
According to Turkish officials, 113 arrest warrants have been issued in relation to the construction of the buildings that collapsed during the earthquake on Monday.
