London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 09, 2025

Turkey earthquake: Man travels over 2,000 miles from South Wales to disaster struck region to find family

Turkey earthquake: Man travels over 2,000 miles from South Wales to disaster struck region to find family

Ahmat Yilmaz travelled through the night after his brother died in the disaster. He hopes to find the rest of his family.

We meet Ahmat at one of the few functioning airports in the earthquake zone.

He has travelled through the night from South Wales to reach his family home of Tut in the Adiyaman province of Turkey.

His brother Ali has been killed after his home crumbled to the ground as a result of the earthquake.


Ali's wife is seriously injured and his two nieces are still buried among the rubble.

We decide to take him, or at least get as close as we can to the village.


Halfway there, Ahmat receives a phone call from his surviving niece to say that no one is coming to help the family.

He is overcome with grief.


Once in the mountains, we're climbing a winding road.

We pass boulders that have fallen from the snow-capped peaks and collapsed roads that lead us up to the village.


What we see when we arrive at the house is heartbreaking.

Ahmat tells us: "It's unbelievable. I've never seen this before. I'm really shocked. I've never seen this happen before in my life... never."

His sister Fara embraces him and the siblings hold each other tight.

She wails with sorrow.


Also waiting is his surviving niece Sidka.

Neighbours one by one come to pay their respects to the family bound by grief.

Ahmat says it was a house full of joy and love, his family now destroyed.

He says the locals want to know where the government help is.


The truth is the government is overwhelmed.

In these remote snowy villages, they will have a long wait.

One man facing the enormity of it all in this country of countless tragedies.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
×