MSO Aid to Quake Victims
August 24, 1999
A University of Utah professor today described how he jumped from the seventh floor of a building as it was crumbling to the ground in Turkey's earthquake. Science Specialist Ed Yeates reports from University Hospital.
"AROUND 3:00 IN THE MORNING, MY BED WAS SHAKING RIGHT AND LEFT. THE BED WAS HITTING ONE WALL TO THE NEXT."
Hakan Yavuz could hardly remain standing, but he knew he had to get out of the building. A water tank on the roof had ruptured, pouring its contents into the room.
He couldn't open the door because everything on the other side of the door had already collapsed. He says he went to the window, broke it and looked down. The first floor was gone.
HAKAN YAVUZ, U OF U POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR: "AND WHAT IT DID I FIRST PUT MY LEGS OUT AND I HELD ON TO THE FRAME FOR A WHILE BUT WHEN IT STARTED TO SHAKE AGAIN THE WHOLE BUILDING STARTED TO MOVE AND THEN I JUST DROPPED."
"SO IN THE PROCESS OF WHEN I WAS DROPPING MYSELF, THE SECOND FLOOR ALSO FELL, SO I FELL FROM THE FIFTH FLOOR TO THE GROUND."
Hakan's fall was broken when he landed in a soft garden area. He suffered multiple breaks in his foot and fractures to the spine. Pieces of concrete were already falling on him.
He says he yelled to a woman nearby. She dragged him to safety moments before an adjacent building collapsed onto the garden.
"IT WAS SO HOT - SO HOT AND DUSTY - AND THEN THE GAS LINES WERE BROKEN - IT'S LIKE HELL."
Hakan stayed in the streets 13 hours - with no aid. He says the Turkish government is ineffective in dealing with crisis' like this one.
"THIS IS A STATE WHICH IS EFFECTIVE WHEN IT COMES TO TORTURE OR PERSECUTION. WHEN IT COMES TO HELPING THE PEOPLE UNFORTUNATELY, THIS IS AN INEFFECTIVE GOVERNMENT."
Hakan attributes his survival to his God and to the woman who pulled him to safety.
He says financial aid should NOT be sent to the Turkish Government. Instead, the University of Utah Muslin Student Organization has set up an earthquake relief fund.
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