A family from New York died during an earthquake in Syria: she was visiting relatives

A family of four from Queens was among more than 21 dead in the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria. This is the strongest earthquake in the last century. NBC.

Burak Firik was with his wife Kimberly and their 6- and XNUMX-year-old sons when the building they were in collapsed as a result of an earthquake on February XNUMX. The family left their home in Queens and visited relatives in Elbistan.

Firik is a former board member of the New York chapter of CAIR, a nonprofit civil rights and advocacy organization.

“He was a family man, he really cared about his family and his faith,” said CAIR Legal Director Ahmen Mohamed. He admitted that he would miss his friend's kindness in dealing with members of the community. Mohamed called Firik a "leader" who "loved to give to those in need."

On the subject: A fairly strong earthquake occurred in New York: this rarely happens in the state

Firik's mother, who was with the family, also died in the collapse. Firik took time off from work to visit his ailing father, but he was not in the building at the time of the collapse, so he survived.

“They died together, the children were in the arms of their parents. The youngest grandson was held by a grandmother,” Mohamed said. Their time on Earth has passed, but they are still together. As Muslims, we believe that families are reunited in heaven.”

In a tragic moment before his death, Firik shared a photo with his wife's family in New York

It shows a collapsed building behind him. He wrote that after the first earthquake they were all safe.

Kimberly's sister Salma Salazar, who was sobbing inconsolably in her Queens home, said the family died after the apartment building they were staying in collapsed.

“The only thing that gives me peace is that my brother-in-law and sister were wonderful people and influenced everyone's life,” Salazar said. “My brother-in-law was very smart. He is a graduate of Columbia University, a software engineer. My sister is a biology specialist, very inspiring.”

She lamented that she could not get rid of the memories of her two nephews, Hamza and Bilal.

“We were agonizingly waiting for official news,” Salazar said. “We had a virtual funeral because we couldn’t go.”

Neighbors and friends of all faiths came to the service on Thursday night to offer comfort to Kimberley's Hispanic parents, who are originally from Ecuador.

In accordance with Muslim tradition, the family was buried in Turkey. On Friday, the family will hold another funeral service, in Turkish and English, at the Queens Mosque.

The death toll from the catastrophic earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria has risen to more than 21

More bodies are being recovered from the rubble of collapsed houses in the affected area. This was announced on Thursday by the Turkish Agency for the Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters.

More than 17 people have died in Turkey, tens of thousands more have been injured, and 600 buildings have been destroyed, the agency confirmed.

Across the border, in Syria, another 3300 people are reported to have died.

Rescuers continue to pull living people out of damaged buildings. But hope began to fade amid low temperatures for more than 4 full days since the earthquake.

On Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the particularly affected province of Hatay. Its residents have criticized the government's efforts, saying rescuers are slow to arrive.

Erdogan, who faces an uphill battle for re-election in May, has reacted to growing frustration. He acknowledged problems with emergency response to the magnitude 7,8 earthquake on Monday. But he said the winter weather was a factor. In addition, the earthquake destroyed the runway at Hatay Airport, further disrupting the response process.

“It is impossible to be prepared for such a catastrophe,” Erdogan stressed. “We will not leave any of our citizens behind.” He, too, lashed out at critics, saying that "dishonest people" are spreading "lies and slander" about the actions of the government.

Teams from more than two dozen countries have joined tens of thousands of local rescuers

But the scale of destruction from the earthquake and its powerful aftershocks was so massive and spread over such a large area that many people are still waiting for help.

Survival time for those trapped under rubble or unable to access essentials is rapidly shrinking, experts say. At the same time, they argue that it is too early to give up hope.

“The first 72 hours are considered critical,” said Stephen Godby, a natural hazards expert at Nottingham Trent University in England. – The average survival rate for 24 hours is 74%. After 72 hours - 22%, and by the fifth day - 6%.

But hope still remains. Four days after the earthquake on Thursday, a living girl was pulled out from under the rubble. Her rescuer fainted from emotion.