KAHRAMANMARAS, Türkiye

Rescuers pull away concrete slabs to save lives trapped under rubble, with some people assisting them and others waiting to hear news about their loved ones in southern Türkiye, where two massive earthquakes struck on Monday.

They were able to rescue Onur Dobuoglu after 30 hours of being trapped under rubble in the Onikisubat district of Kahramanmaras province.

Dobuoglu, 25, was taken by ambulance to the hospital with a fractured foot and arms.

Sefa Gedik, who had been hoping for good news, later expressed his joy by hugging rescuers after reuniting with his nephew.

"May Allah be pleased with everyone. May Allah help everyone, and we wish everyone to be saved,” Gedik said.

Turgut Dolanbay, a member of the rescue teams, told Anadolu that after hearing Dobuoglu's voice, they focused on the site to save his life.

Dobuoglu's parents and brother were also rescued alive from the wreckage on Monday, Dolanbay said, adding that the injured young man is in good health.

Many people who have relatives or friends trapped beneath the rubble of collapsed buildings also support search and rescue efforts.

At least 3,432 people were killed and 21,103 others injured in 10 provinces of Türkiye due to two strong earthquakes that jolted the southern part of the country, an official from the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) said on Tuesday.

Early Monday morning, a powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the Pazarcik district of Kahramanmaras province and strongly shook several other provinces, including Gaziantep, Sanliurfa, Diyarbakir, Adana, Adiyaman, Malatya, Osmaniye, Hatay and Kilis.

Then at 13.24 p.m. (1024GMT), a 7.6 magnitude quake centered in Kahramanmaras’ Elbistan district struck the region.

Türkiye’s Vice President Fuat Oktay said on Tuesday that more than 8,000 people have been rescued from the rubble so far.

A total of 3,294 search and rescue personnel reached Türkiye from 14 countries, including Azerbaijan and Russia, the vice president said.

The earthquakes were also felt in several countries in the region, including Syria and Lebanon.​​​​​​​

*Writing by Seda Sevencan