“What shocked me was the unimaginable size. Huge disaster. And as always, the more destruction, the greater the human pain,” she describes from her Alexandretta. Turkeywhere is he today, situation, award-winning greek photographer, Petros Yannakouris.

He hastens to add that the above sounds trite and represents the conditions and images to be expected after such a monstrous earthquake, but as an experienced photographer notes: “no matter how many times you see them, they never cease to tremble and shock you.”

During this conversation, the correspondent of the Associated Press captured in his lens a rescue operation of a group of five civilians under the rubble. Rescuers periodically ask those present for complete silence, as a result of which we are forced to temporarily interrupt our telephone conversation.

“Despite the fact that so many days have passed, there are reasonable hopes that these five people will be saved. They showed signs of life,” the photographer says, adding that the current Turkish team believes that they will probably be in time by the evening. “It seems absurd, but the effort is still ongoing,” he notes.

Mr. Giannakouris explains that the most severe images of Enceladus’ impact come from Kahramanmaras, where “you are really amazed at how the buildings collapsed. As if someone had uprooted them. Entire apartment buildings that “leaned” to the side and fell with their foundations or straight ahead. It’s amazing how “correct” and “aligned” they hit. It’s like they’re paper boxes.”

“The landscape is much more chaotic compared to 1999”

Petros Yannakouris also covered the 1999 Turkey earthquake. This was his first overseas mission.

“At the time, everything seemed very big, very complex. Objectively speaking, the current picture is much more chaotic. One misfortune is unrelated to the other,” says photographer K, adding, however, that the leveling of entire building blocks is not only due to their poor quality, as is often said, but also because of the terrifying impact. Enceladus.

As for the psychological state of the citizens living there, he states that those who have lost their loved ones are inconsolable. “Those who have just lost their home are better in touch with reality.”

The humanitarian aid that has crossed into Turkey and the tents scattered in the cities to accommodate citizens, as well as the missions of non-governmental organizations and rescuers working on the ground, act as painkillers. “Private individuals are also preparing impromptu meals to feed both the townspeople and crew members,” he adds.

“Is an earthquake a war?we ask here Petros Giannakuris, who has covered many wars, including the Ukrainian one.

He replies: “In war, people know more or less what is happening to them. They know where evil comes from, and sometimes they are ready for it. Because of the earthquake, two minutes later, your family and your home disappeared. There is no logic. This is the fault of nature. These two, war and earthquake, are the two worst conditions that can happen to a person, as we see with our own eyes the results of these disasters.

The photographer wants to end this conversation with a positive image against the backdrop of great drama. “When people and especially children are rescued from the rubble, everyone is relieved for a while. They require courage, breathing. The meaning of life returns“.

“Grandfather is sitting in an armchair, and next to him in the ruins are his buried relatives. This is a human moment. Of course, no one would ever want to be in his place. But I don’t think that the hard element prevails, the emotions prevail.”