how to explain that some survivors lasted several days under the rubble

And suddenly, in the midst of dread and horror, moments of intense joy. Tuesday, February 14, eight days after the earthquakes that shook Turkey and Syria, a Syrian couple was found alive. A little earlier, on Monday, it was a woman who been able to get out into the open air after spending 175 hours in the cold, trapped under the rubble. “Each time, we ourselves are incredulous, it seems so completely crazy”recognizes Hervé Roy, emergency doctor who was notably mobilized after the earthquakes in Nepal in 2015, in Haiti in 2010 or in Iran in 2003.

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How could these miracles survive so long in such conditions? In reality“it will depend on several factors”, details the one who leads the medical team of the NGO Secouristes sans frontières. “Starting with the level of injuries: lTrapped victims who are injured, bleeding, unfortunately have little chance of surviving. On the other hand, victims who are trapped but not injured can survive.”

Air can circulate through rubble, even in a huge concrete pocket. “I was calm. I knew I would be saved. I prayed. It was possible to breathe under the ruins”, told a Turkish miracle to the NTV channel. Nevertheless, “the more the hours pass, the more the problem of dehydration will arise”, continues Hervé Roy. The paramedic points out that all long-term survivors have in common the luck of having been able to find a source of water, however weak.

“The fact that it rained just before the earthquake saved lives. Victims were able to drink the water that was flowing.”

Hervé Roy, emergency physician

at franceinfo

Also, without the ability to move, the human body will start to slow down. “The victims will reduce their energy needs as much as possible and therefore prolong their lifespan in these extreme conditions”, continues the doctor. But the winter conditions in Turkey make the situation much worse: it is down to -4°C at night.

The importance of mental toughness

To explain the long periods of confinement of survivors, one factor is often underestimated: mental strength. Arnaud Fraisse has not forgotten Hotteline, “this lady came out alive after spending eight days under the rubble in Haiti in 2010”. “She explained to us that she had put herself in a posture of survival, that she prayed a lot, that she knew that we would eventually arrive. She had a mind of steel”, replays, still moved, the founder of Secouristes sans frontières.

“I was lying on the floor in a supermarket in the dark without being able to move, but I had enough space to breathe. I spent the days without eating or drinking.”

Hotteline, a Haitian survivor

at franceinfo

“I tried after two days to drink urine, I used a container I found, but the taste was not good at all, and I gave upshe continues. I was just singing and praying and calling for help.”

The risk of “crush syndrome”

Another reality too: nothing does not guarantee survival after the fact. VSthose who have been rescued from the rubble can in particular die because of “crushing syndrome”. “This phenomenon frequently occurs during disasters such as earthquakes, in people who have been trapped under fallen or moving masonry”explain Dr Jetri Regmi of the WHO’s Global Health Emergencies Program at the BBC (in English).

After being cleared of the rubble, the crushed organs indeed produce toxins which will spread in the organism. The consequences may depend on the duration and intensity of the compression. “There may be theartbeat rubles and therefore cardiac arrest and therefore death”begins by evoking Hervé Roy.

“This can block the kidneys and therefore give rise to acute renal failure which requires dialysis to purify the body. This can also cause musculo-nervous damage.”

Hervé Roy, emergency physician

at franceinfo

I’Haitian was luckier: “She is fine. She now lives in Boston, USA. I have her on the phone regularly, reveals Arnaud Fraisse. And made this disaster a friendship was born.“