Coleraine barber Ibrahim speaks of heartache following death of sister in Turkish earthquake

Ibrahim Urs, who owns Mr Kagan Barber Shop on Kingsgate Street, has flown from Northern Ireland to rescue his family and help other survivors.

People from all over the Causeway Coast and Glens area have donated money to Ibrahim’s GoFundMe appeal to help him bring supplies and aid to his home country.

Mr Urs said: “I have had to fly out from Northern Ireland to Antakya, Turkey, to rescue my family and other survivors who are victims of the major earthquakes.

"I have sadly lost my sister, her husband and two of my nephews who were unable to escape from a collapsed building. My family and many others have lost their mothers, fathers, wives, husbands, brothers, sisters, children, homes, possessions and their dignity.

"As of yet the government has been of very little help. This horrific event has destroyed many people's lives as they now have nothing.

"By donating you are helping the people of Antakya who are being deprived of any government help so far. Please help me to deliver aid and assistance to these people who have been so badly overlooked.

"Any donations as little as 50p is extremely helpful and will allow myself and other people to provide the devastated victims with the supplies and essentials they are in dire need of. The money will be used to purchase necessities such as water and food.”

Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster, Mr Urs said his sister's name was Arzu and that she had been like "a second mother" to him.

"She was so young, all the kids are so young as well, one of them is 11-years-old and one of them is seven years old, they are so young," he added.

He has travelled to Antakya in Turkey, attending the family funerals this week, and is providing further support to his relatives.

Mr Urs said he was now planning to bring his sister's daughter, who survived the earthquake, back to Coleraine. She was pulled from the rubble having witnessed the tragic deaths of her family.

"We are just trying to treat her the best way we can," he said.

"She has lost everything. She has to live with this trauma. I will try to get the documents sorted out for her."

Ibrahim went on to express his gratitude to the people of Northern Ireland in general, and the people of Coleraine in particular, saying: "They have supported me with many messages, many texts and phone calls, I really appreciate it.”

He told the radio show: “I didn't expect it. I feel like I have a really big family there. I really appreciate everyone."

Over 33,000 people are known to have been killed after devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria one week ago, however, the UN says it expects the number of dead to double.

It has also bee revealed that in just four days, Northern Ireland donated £1 million to the Disasters Emergency Committee’s (DEC) Turkey-Syria Earthquake Appeal.