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EARTHQUAKE

Another Lebanese pulled alive from the rubble in Turkey

Bassel Habkouk is the third Lebanese to be saved in Turkey. Six other nationals have been confirmed dead so far in the earthquake.

Another Lebanese pulled alive from the rubble in Turkey

Bassel Habkouk, who was saved from under the rubble after the deadly earthquake in Turkey, Feb., 8, 2023. (Courtesy of: Muntasser Abdallah)

BEIRUT — A third Lebanese citizen, Bassel Habkouk, was pulled alive from under the rubble in Turkey Wednesday morning after the Monday earthquake that killed more than 9,500 people across Syria and Turkey.

Fadi Habkouk, the brother of Bassel Habkouk, from Maghdoucheh in South Lebanon, confirmed to L'Orient Today's correspondent that his brother had been rescued and moved to a field hospital. However, he did not have additional details on Habkouk's health condition and said he was trying to locate his brother.

According to footage and images obtained by our correspondent, Habkouk can be seen awake while being pulled by rescuers from under the rubble of the Ozcan Hotel in southern Turkey's Hatay province. Other images show him being carried away in an ambulance while waiving his thumb up.

Two Lebanese still trapped

The Lebanese embassy in Turkey said on Wednesday that "efforts are still underway to reach Elias Haddad and Muhammad al-Muhammad," who are still trapped under the rubble of the same hotel where Bassel Habkuk was found.

"Rescue teams confirm they heard sounds coming from the rubble on the site" where search efforts are taking place, the embassy added.

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On Tuesday, Mohammad Chamma and his son were also pulled alive from under the rubble in Turkey. Chamma's wife Suzanne, however, was found dead.

In addition to Suzanne Chamma, five other Lebanese were killed during the earthquake, including Father Imad Daher, a Greek-Catholic priest in Aleppo and a native of Lebanon's Bramieh. His body was found under the rubble of the building where he lived in Aleppo.

Sawsan Nasouri and her daughter, Celine Haddam, both from Tripoli, were also killed in the Syrian coastal city of Latakia during the quake, according to their relative, Ahmad Haddam.

Ahmad al-Sheikh, mayor of the municipality of Wadi Khaled in northern Lebanon, confirmed to L'Orient Today on Monday the death of Wissam al-Asaad and his daughter Nadwa, who were living in the southern Turkish city of Gaziantep.

The Monday pre-dawn earthquake and aftershocks were felt in Lebanon, igniting fears among residents. Some people fled their apartment buildings, causing traffic jams on roads.

Several construction projects were also damaged. No casualties nor injuries were reported within Lebanon.

Additional reporting by Muntasser Abdallah

BEIRUT — A third Lebanese citizen, Bassel Habkouk, was pulled alive from under the rubble in Turkey Wednesday morning after the Monday earthquake that killed more than 9,500 people across Syria and Turkey.
Fadi Habkouk, the brother of Bassel Habkouk, from Maghdoucheh in South Lebanon, confirmed to L'Orient Today's correspondent that his brother had been rescued and moved to a field...