Augustin Théodore Debsi, a French student in Turkey, came to France following the earthquake that killed nearly 24,000 people.
• Read also: Woman rescued in Turkey after more than 100 hours under rubble
• Read also: Developer of tower collapsed in earthquake arrested fleeing Turkey
• Read also: Deadly earthquake: new toll, several children saved five days later, concession from Damascus on aid to rebel areas
“I was asleep, the earth shook around 4 a.m., and the tremors actually woke me up because they were extremely violent. At that time, I did not understand at all what was happening, I put myself in animal instinct mode, that is to say that there is a danger and that we must survive, ”a- he entrusted to the microphone of Philippe-Vincent Foisy, to QUB radio.
He got stuck in his room before he could get out after the earthquake passed, since the damage to the building prevented the doors from opening.
“At first I thought the destruction had only affected the house. […] It was while leaving and going to the main street that I saw the macabre spectacle, that the city was destroyed. And inevitably, at that time, we wonder what to do, or go, with nothing, ”he said.
The student then met an Englishman on the street who motivated him to leave. Thanks to him, he was able to recover his belongings and his papers, his computer, his books and family jewels.
“When I left I was in a state of complete amazement, that is to say that everything around me, everything was almost destroyed, people were either crying, or were injured, or were screaming because they had lost everything,” he explained.
“There is a detachment. We watch this and we are only spectators of this terrible scene, we cannot feel any emotions because we feel empty, we do not understand why it happened to us, ”said Mr. Théodore Debsi.
The student has lost some of his relatives, and remains without news of others.
He says that the Turks of France mobilized and collected money to help the victims.
“Since this is something good that was happening, I let things be in their hands, and I was trying to rebuild myself on my side by telling myself that people were taking charge of the people who stayed there,” he added.