WhatsApp saves life of student stuck under debris after Turkey earthquake

A student trapped under debris after the horrific Turkey earthquake was miraculously saved because of WhatsApp location feature.

A student trapped under debris after the Turkey earthquake crisis uploaded a video on his WhatsApp status. (Pixabay)

It may be addictive, but social media can be a boon too. In fact, during crisis times, social media can save lives. This turned out to be true in the aftermath of the horrific earthquake in Turkey. In a miracle incident, a 20-year-old student was saved despite being stuck under debris. A student named Boran Kubat was saved from under the rubble of an apartment building in Eastern Turkey after he sent out a video appeal on WhatsApp and even shared his location.

How the student got stuck under collapsed apartment debris

The student and his mother actually survived the first earthquake in the morning, but then they re-entered the building. However, the second earthquake hit at that time and it caused the building to collapse.

How WhatsApp helped save the life of the student

Fortunately, he survived, but was stuck under the debris. Boran then sent a video appeal from beneath the debris of the apartment building. He recorded a video message on WhatsApp, pleading for assistance and provided his address. He said, “Whoever sees this WhatsApp status, please come and help. Please everyone come and rescue us now." Due to this video appeal, rescuers were able to locate and successfully rescue Boran and his mother from under the debris.

As per a report by the Turkish news outlet Anadolu Agency, Boran informed that it took rescuers several swings of a sledgehammer to pinpoint their precise location.

“I had my phone with me, so I thought if I shared a video on social media, my friends could see it and they could reach us. They finally found us, me and my mother," he said.

Family tragedy not over yet

Unfortunately, the tragedy is still haunting the family. The student revealed that other members of his family are still stuck under the collapsed building. "They are now trying to rescue one of my uncles, but another uncle and my grandmother are still trapped,” he told Anadolu.

In a similar incident, a YouTuber known as Charmquell aka Firat Yayla was rescued from the central Antakya district of Hatay which is a southern Turkish province after he shared a video that included his address on Instagram stories, Al Jazeera reported.