Ghanaian Woman in Turkey Shares Harrowing Earthquake Experience on SVTV Africa
Afia Linking, a Ghanaian residing in Turkey, recently shared her traumatic experience during a 6.2 magnitude earthquake in Istanbul on SVTV Africa’s Daily Hustle Worldwide show with Dj Nyamai. The quake struck around 12:30 to 1:00 PM while residents were going about their usual routines. Afia was on the 20th floor of a 24-storey building when it happened. She had just entered the bathroom when she felt the building start to shake violently.
According to her, the tremor was so intense on the upper floors that it felt impossible to walk. While many residents on the lower floors were unaware at first, those above quickly heard screams and rushed out. Afia managed to grab a few belongings, get dressed, and make her way downstairs, noticing that many people outside were only partially dressed or wrapped in towels due to the urgency of the situation.
In the chaos, a neighbor had just given birth, and Afia instinctively helped carry the newborn down to safety, momentarily forgetting about her own safety. The elevators were not in use due to the danger, and many residents feared the building might collapse later, as is often the case with structural issues post-earthquake. Eventually, they were temporarily allowed to use the lift, but were later advised not to return indoors as fatalities and injuries were reported in other parts of the city. Some victims died from shock, and tragically, others jumped to their deaths in panic.
Afia and other survivors camped in an open park nearby, equipped with blankets and baskets, staying close to a fire for warmth. Emergency services had provided food and water, which were left on tables for everyone to take as needed. Later that day, hot meals were distributed and survivors began organizing their routines.
She explained that the area where she lives is expensive, but the buildings are built to sway rather than collapse during earthquakes. Nonetheless, she emphasized that her priority now is not wealth, but survival.
Afia also touched on broader issues, such as the plight of undocumented migrants. She revealed that during earthquakes, authorities often arrest those without proper documentation. She mentioned a friend who was imprisoned in Greece, where detainees were not even allowed to escape during a previous earthquake. Similar arrests have occurred in Turkey, where buses patrol areas during such emergencies.
Despite these hardships, Afia continues to work in Turkey, traveling to Ghana up to four times a year. She runs a business involving both air and sea cargo shipments. She ships containers of goods to Ghana and regularly shops in Turkey for business. She described Turkey as a mix between Arab and European cultures, located just an hour from Germany.
Reflecting on her journey, Afia advised against selling one’s properties in Ghana just to travel. “There’s no place like home,” she said. She recalled someone who wanted to travel with GHC 100,000, but she encouraged him to use part of that money to start a small trading business instead. He insisted on traveling, and she told him he was free to make that choice—but warned that migration is not for everyone. “Some make it, some don’t. It depends on you,” she concluded.
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