The life of Simge Akbulut, who was buried under the rubble with her family during the Izmir earthquake three years ago, changed after this incident. Young Simge, impressed by what he experienced, now works in the same profession as the firefighters who brought him back to life. Simge, who was rescued from the rubble by his father Mehmet Akbulut, who works at the Izmir Fire Department, and his colleagues, said, "Yesterday they saved me, today I will save others."
October 30, 2020… Time 14.51… This historical moment was a turning point in the lives of many people in Izmir. The October 30 earthquake, which is engraved in memories and leaves deep scars in the heart, also changed the life of the Akbulut family from Izmir. Bayraklı Siblings Simge and Simay Akbulut, who were caught in the earthquake in their house on the first floor of a 7-storey building in Çamkıran, were left under the rubble of the collapsed building together with their mother Mehtap Akbulut. They were rescued by Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Fire Department teams after 4 hours of work. Among the firefighters who brought those three lives back to life that day was father Mehmet Akbulut, who has been a firefighter for 30 years. He worked hard with his colleagues to save his daughters and wife from the rubble alive.
He started his duty 8 months after the earthquake
The life of 25-year-old Simge Akbulut changed after the October 30 earthquake. Simge Akbulut, who clarified her goals in life after the unfortunate incident she experienced, first took the KPSS (Public Personnel Selection Examination) and then participated in the exam held by Edirne Municipality to recruit firefighters. The young woman, who quickly recovered after the earthquake and clung to life, started working as a firefighter in Edirne Municipality after her success in the exams. Akbulut, who worked here for 1 and a half years, was later appointed as the Head of the Fire Department of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality.
“We were checking whether each other was alive or not”
Saying that October 30, 2020 at 14.51 was the turning point of his life, Akbulut still has the same feelings when describing his experiences:
“We were sitting at home with my mother and brother. My mother was in the living room, and we were in the room with my brother. Suddenly I heard a very loud sound and the house started shaking violently. When I realized there was an earthquake, I grabbed my brother's arm and started pushing him outside. My brother managed to get out but got stuck in the corridor of the apartment. My mother was also in the living room, I grabbed her arm and pulled her too. In a very short time, the 7-storey building collapsed. My mother and I were stuck in the rubble in the same place, and my brother was in the rubble on the floor below us. I was constantly calling my mother and brother to check whether they were alive or not. We stayed in the wreckage for 4 hours. I could see my mother, but I couldn't see my brother. We were in constant communication with each other. "We were checking whether each other was alive or not."
Under the same roof as the team that saved him
Explaining that he was in a very narrow place under the rubble and had difficulty breathing, Akbulut said, “My mother was in shock next to me. On the one hand, I tried to calm him down, on the other hand, I gathered my thoughts and started looking for a solution to get out from under the rubble. I never thought I would die. I said to myself, 'I'm going to get out of here.' I called the 112 Emergency Call Center. I gave the address of where I was staying. Later, Izmir Metropolitan Municipality fire brigades and my current colleagues came to my rescue. My father also came to save us. My brother was pulled from the rubble, but it took time for us to be pulled out. My father and the firefighters dug through the rubble and pulled us out. I stayed in hospital for a week. I couldn't walk for a while. My mother and sister had surgery, and I received physical therapy. "We are all very well now," he said.
“I never lost hope”
Explaining that what he experienced affected him greatly, Akbulut said: “I was very impressed that I spent my childhood in the fire department because my father did this profession, and that my teammates in the Izmir Fire Brigade saved me. Yesterday they saved me, today I will save others. I am part of the earthquake team of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Fire Department. I receive earthquake, search and rescue and fire training. Even though I remained motionless and helpless under the rubble for hours, I never lost hope. I know what despair feels like. What is helplessness? What is waiting for help? Since I know these feelings, I will help people who are waiting for help. If there are people who experience such events, I advise them to hope. Hope never ends. “I set out on this path with hope.”
“Thank God, there are still four of us sitting at the table.”
Southern Regional Fire Chief Mehmet Akbulut (59) stated that he learned the news that his daughters Simay (21), Simge and his wife Mehtap Salduz Akbulut were under the rubble while he was on duty in Torbalı. Akbulut said, “My daughter Simay called and said, 'Dad, save us.' I was informed that there was an earthquake, but it never crossed my mind that the apartment building had collapsed. I immediately left Torbalı. Meanwhile, my daughter was constantly calling. That road is not over. Traffic is blocked. I got out of the car and tried to reach the house by running, and I did. My family is under the rubble, my friends are at the scene. I participated in the rescue efforts with them. After 4 hours of digging with our hands and nails, we pulled my family out. "Thank God, they are still breathing, we are still sitting at the table as four people," he said.
“I am very happy that my daughter chose this profession.”
Emphasizing that he is proud of his daughter and that they are now doing this profession as father and daughter, Mehmet Akbulut said, “Just like every profession, our profession also has risks. I believe that my daughter will do this profession successfully. I'm so glad you're a firefighter. We have a sacred profession. If I were born again, I would choose this profession again. I love firefighting. I love my colleagues and my institution very much. I am very happy that my daughter chose this profession. Simge is very enthusiastic about this profession. I'm sure you'll do this job well. Very enthusiastic, hard-working,” she said.