Turkey-Syria earthquake: Doctor describes the conditions in Syrian hospital with ‘dying children’ and ‘no electricity’
A doctor in an earthquake-stricken region of northern Syria described the hospital he was working at as “reminiscent of a warzone”.
Frantic efforts to rescue hundreds trapped under rubble are continuing after a huge earthquake hit southeastern Turkey and northern Syria early on Monday, killing more than 3,500.
Dr Osama Sallom, of the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS), is working at the Bab Al Hawa Hospital, which has received over 400 casualties and reported over 50 deaths.
“Most of the patients are children who are bleeding and dying from the cold [after being stuck under debris],” Dr Sallom said.
“We are looking under the rubble, but it’s very cold. It’ll be -1 or -2C for rescue teams working overnight.
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Rescuers dug through the rubble of destroyed buildings in Idlib, Syria searching for survivors following a deadly earthquake
“We receive more and more patients every hour and our hospital is overwhelmed with patients filling the hallways.”
Dr Sallom said there is a “huge lack of staff and equipment” at the hospital and all the wards were occupied by patients, mainly women and children.
“All our beds are full – people are having to lie on the ground. After a few hours we will have no space left on the ground,” he said.
“It’s reminiscent of a warzone – it’s giving many people traumatic memories.
“Every moment I hear ambulances come in with more casualties. The chance to save people goes down every hour.”
Rescuers work near the site of a collapsed building, following an earthquake, in Hama, Syria
SAMS responded to the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Syria, Turkey, and the region of Atareb, where the hospital is located, on Monday morning.
Dr Sallom said the border was completely closed and patients could not be referred to Turkey, which has put a lot of strain on the hospital he is working in.
He said: “We have to deal with complicated injuries ourselves – we only have one CT scanner and we don’t have specialist equipment. There’s a huge need for the CT scan, but [patients] have to wait three or four hours for a scan.”
He also spoke of the continuous aftershocks which came along “every five minutes” and were “very strong”.
He added: “It’s catastrophic and we are afraid ourselves. My friend, the manager of the hospital, lost his family while my wife and child are in Turkey.”
‘I’m so sad’
The situation reminded Dr Sallom of the Aleppo bombings in 2016 which destroyed hospitals, houses and killed hundreds of civilians.
The 2016 Aleppo bombings killed hundreds of civilians Pic: AP
He said: “I’m so sad – this incident is worse for Syrians because we have lived a lot of years as a war-torn country.
“Now we have the same feeling.
“We are losing hope to rescue children because of a huge need for consumables and medication which will run out in the coming hours.”
Bolivian armed forces have taken over the capital’s central square as an armoured vehicle rammed through the entrance of the presidential palace as the president said the country is facing a coup attempt.
The country’s president, Luis Arce, warned an “irregular” deployment of troops had taken place and called for “democracy to be respected” on X as Bolivian TV showed two tanks and a number of soldiers in front of the government palace in La Paz.
Video on Bolivian TV showed Mr Arce confronting the general commander of the army, Juan Jose Zuniga, in the palace hallway, telling him: “I am your captain, and I order you to withdraw your soldiers, and I will not allow this insubordination.”
Soldiers stand guard outside Bolivia’s presidential palace. Pic: AP
An armoured vehicle rams into the door of the presidential palace. Pic: AP
Before entering the building Mr Zuniga told journalists in the plaza: “Surely soon there will be a new cabinet of ministers; our country, our state cannot go on like this.”
Mr Zuniga said he recognises President Arce as commander in chief “for now”.
In a video surrounded by his cabinet Mr Arce said he is standing firm against an attempted coup.
Military police stand amid tear gas outside the presidential palace. Pic: AP
Former Bolivian president Evo Morales denounced the movement of the military in the Murillo square outside the palace in a post on X, calling it a coup “in the making”.
Mr Zuniga earlier confirmed the movement of uniformed officers and said: “We are upset by the affront, enough is enough.”
He spoke on TV of “attacks on democracy” without elaborating.
Maria Nela Prada, minister of the presidency and a top Bolivian official, said military and tanks were taking over the plaza, calling it an “attempted coup d’etat”.
“The people are on alert to defend democracy,” she told local television station Red Uno.
Bolivia has faced mounting protests in recent months over the steep decline of its economy over the last two decades.
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World
Evan Gershkovich: US journalist seen with shaved head as he goes on trial in Russia for spying
Evan Gershkovich has been seen with a shaved head as he went on trial behind-closed-doors in Russia accused of spying.
Reporters were allowed to briefly film the US journalist on Wednesday before the start of the hearing in the city of Yekaterinburg where he is charged with espionage, which he denies.
Mr Gershkovich was seen standing in a glass box wearing a black-and-blue checked shirt before the proceedings were closed.
The 32-year-old’s trial is to take place behind closed doors. Pic: Reuters
The next hearing was set for 13 August.
The Wall Street Journal reporter was first arrested and detained in March 2023 after Russia claimed he had been “gathering secret information” on orders from the CIA.
The 32-year-old reporter, who has already spent nearly 15 months behind bars in Moscow’s notorious Lefortovo jail, faces up to 20 years in prison if found guilty.
Russian courts convict more than 99% of the defendants who come before them, and prosecutors can appeal sentences they regard as too lenient, and can even appeal acquittals.
Last week, the first details of the allegations against him emerged as it was claimed he was seeking details about Uralvagonzavod, a facility that produces and repairs military equipment, the prosecutor general’s office said.
The authorities have not publicly disclosed any evidence to back up the accusations.
The trial is due to take place behind closed doors – something Russia says is normal in espionage cases.
Mr Gershkovich, his employer and the US government strongly deny the claims and Washington has designated him wrongfully detained.
Jay Conti, executive vice president and general counsel for Dow Jones, which publishes the Journal, described the trial as a sham, saying: “He was an accredited journalist doing journalism, and this is a sham trial, bogus charges that are completely trumped up.”
“Evan has done nothing wrong. He should never have been arrested in the first place. Journalism is not a crime,” US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said last week.
He added: “The charges against him are false. And the Russian government knows that they’re false. He should be released immediately.”
The reporter makes a heart-shaped gesture at a previous court appearance. Pic Reuters
The White House has sought to negotiate Mr Gershkovich’s release, but Russia’s foreign ministry said Moscow would consider a prisoner swap only after a trial verdict.
However, that could be months away, because Russian trials often adjourn for weeks.
While Russia-US relations are fraught over the war in Ukraine, the Kremlin and Washington did agree a high-profile prisoner exchange in 2022 that secured the release of basketball star star Brittney Griner, who was serving a lengthy sentence for cannabis possession.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested Mr Gershkovic could be swapped in return for the release of Vadim Krasikov, a Russian imprisoned in Germany for assassinating a Chechen rebel leader in Berlin.
However, this would require the cooperation of Germany in a Russia-US dispute.
Mr Gershkovich, the American-born son of immigrants from the former Soviet Union, was the first US journalist detained on espionage charges since Nicholas Daniloff in 1986 at the height of the Cold War.
It followed a crackdown on freedom of speech after Mr Putin sent troops into Ukraine.
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