A Nigerian based in Turkey, Emmanuel Olaitan Johnson, has narrated how he escaped with his family from Monday’s earthquake in the country and Syria.
As at press time in the early hours of Wednesday, reports had it that over 7,800 persons had died from the earthquake.
The earthquake, the worst in the country since 1939, occurred at 4:17am, according to the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), with a magnitude of 7.8.
Speaking with BBC Pidgin, Johnson said: “I was in my building and I noticed it was shaking, but I wasn’t perturbed at first.
“But when I saw a crack in the wall, I grabbed my wife and children and ran out of the house.
“As I speak to you, I and my family are now homeless.”
The Nigerian, who lives in Gaziantep, one of the affected cities in Turkey, explained that he had just finished watching the 9/11 terrorist attack documentary before the incident began.
Johnson added: “Before my house broke down, I ran inside twice to pick shoes for myself, wife and children and also pick up our documents.
“We were dressed in singlets and boxers and my children were walking in the snow with barefoot.
“While I was using my building’s staircase, I almost lost my footing while climbing because of the earthquake’s magnitude and how the building was shaking.”