Earthquake survivor family's container burns down: 'A person's memories are burning, it's a terrible feeling'

The Özkan family, who began living in a container following the February 6, 2023, Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes, saw both their home and their workplace burn down. The incident occurred in the Harbiye neighborhood of Hatay's Defne district, where a fire broke out at a scrap shop belonging to a survivor named Yasin Özkan. The flames grew rapidly, engulfing the makeshift workplace and the adjacent container. 

Firefighting crews intervened to tackle the flames. It was reported that once the fire was brought under control, it was extinguished before it could spread to the container next to the one that had burned down. 

RECOUNTED IN TEARS

Yasin Özkan, who lost both his workplace and his home at the same time, recounted what he went through in tears. Özkan stated, "I was making coffee, and some papers nearby caught fire. My mind was elsewhere, and suddenly I saw the flames rising. Two containers burned down; I am not in a state to talk. I was staying alone on one side, and my sister-in-law stays here. After the earthquake, we built some makeshift structures here, and this was my sister-in-law's container. It is a very painful thing; may God not let this happen to anyone. A person's entire memories are burning. It is a very bad feeling, it cannot be described," he said.