Residents of Aleppo flee to other areas after earthquake
ALEPPO, Syria (North Press) – Since the country was hit by an earthquake on Feb. 6, residents of the city of Aleppo have been trying to escape to other areas that were not affected by earthquakes for fear of the collapse of their homes and to avoid sleeping in the streets and gardens amid harsh weather conditions.
An exclusive source from Road Transport Union of the Syrian government in the city said that land transport operations are at maximum capacity between Aleppo and other cities, but the increase in the number of families wishing to leave prevents the transfer of all those wishing to other governorates.
The source, who preferred not to be named, indicated that since Feb. 6, transport companies have been working to evacuate residents from the city to areas that have not been affected by earthquake. They are working to bring in equipment and relief crews from other cities to Aleppo.
The source added that the difficulty of securing all passengers diminishes with the arrival of oil aid from neighboring countries, which may contribute to speeding up land transport operations between cities.
Muhammad al-Ahmad, 45, a pseudonym for a resident of Aleppo, said that he is trying to send his family to the city of Homs, as he is trying to book them tickets from transportation company to escape the horror of the repeated collapse of buildings.
He told North Press that he has been sitting with his family in the bus station with some luggage containing some necessities for 14 hours, and they did not manage to book any tickets so far.
On Wednesday evening, Aleppo witnessed light tremor, causing panic and fear among the residents, some of whom resorted to sleeping in parks, cars, mosques, shelters, and streets.
At dawn on Feb. 6, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit Syria and Turkey, killing thousands and injuring much more. The earthquake also caused immense destruction of buildings, trapping thousands under the rubble.
Searches for victims and survivors under the rubble of the collapsed buildings continue amid great difficulty, due to the freezing and rainy weather.