7-Year-Old Syrian Girl Shields Brother From Debris While Trapped Under Rubble

A 7-year-old Syrian girl and her younger brother were trapped under rubble after the 7.8 magnitude earthquake left more than 7,000 dead in Turkey and Syria.

The siblings were stuck under the heavy concrete rubble of a collapsed building for around 17 hours before being rescued. Visuals showed the Syrian girl, Mariam, shielding her younger brother, Ilaaf, by keeping her hand on his head. She could be seen gently stroking her younger brother's hair as they lie squashed together.

A video showed rescuers squatting in the rubble of the children's home in a small village near Karam, Syria as they attempted to find a safe way to rescue them.

As per reports, the older child whispered to the rescuers, "Get me out of here, I'll do anything for you. I'll be your servant."

A rescuer replied, "No, no".

Suggested Reading: Heart-Wrenching Visuals: Syrian Baby Delivered Under Rubble Rescued

Syrian Girl Shields Brother

A United Nations representative, Mohamad Safa took to Twitter and shared an image of the trapped siblings. He wrote in the caption, "The 7-year-old who kept her hand on her little brother's head to protect him while they were under the rubble for 17 hours has made it safely".

Miraculously, the family survived the 7.8 magnitude earthquake and was rescued after being trapped under the rubble.

Mustafa Zuhir Al-Sayed said that his wife and three children were sleeping in the early hours of Monday, February 6, when the earthquake hit. The video shows that locals cheering after Mariam and Ilaaf are carried away from the ruins of their home wrapped in blankets. The children were taken to a hospital, where they're receiving medical care.

Similar Case

The 18-month-old Raghad Ismail was rescued from under the rubble of a building that collapsed due to the earthquake on Monday, February 6.

Tragically, most of Ismail's family did not survive the devastating earthquake, her pregnant mother and both of her siblings lost their lives.

The toddler's uncle said, "Her father's back is broken. Her mother was pregnant and has lost her life now. Her two siblings too, a five-year-old sister and four-year-old brother have all been killed."