Rescued children speak to AA

VAN (A.A) – October 28, 2011 – Two children, who were pulled out of debris hundreds of hours after the earthquake in the eastern province of Van, are sharing the same room at the hospital they were taken.
Ferhat Tokay was rescued 108 hours and Imdat Padak was pulled 100 hours after the quake in Ercis town of Van, and they are currently under treatment at Van Training & Research Hospital.
13-year-old Tokay told AA that he was trapped under a six-storey building, and he kept praying without panicking under the wreckage.
"I prayed to God to take me too if my parents died," he said.
Immediately after the quake, I heard voices of rescue teams, and I called out them to rescue me, but they did not hear as I was in the ground floor. After two or three walls were removed, machines dug a hole, and I called out for help. They heard and rescued me, said Tokay.
Tokay thanked rescue teams and doctors very much.
Padak, who also spoke to AA, said he never lost his confidence and belief while he was under the debris.
I always believed people would rescue me, he said.
I made voices so that rescue teams could hear me. When machines were working, I could hear them. It was really difficult. But I had faith. I said God is great. I survived by drinking rain water, said Padak.
Doctors said that health condition of both Padak and Tokay were good.
Turkish Prime Ministry Disaster & Emergency Management Directorate (AFAD) said that as of 9:30 p.m. today, the death toll was 573, and the number of injured people was 2,608 in the earthquake.