Rescue workers pull teenager alive from rubble in Turkey - Action News
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Rescue workers pull teenager alive from rubble in Turkey

Teenage boy pulled alive from rubble of an apartment building in Turkey Sunday, 6 days after its collapse

A teenage boy was pulled alive from the rubble of an apartment building in central Turkey Sunday, six days after it collapsed.

Muhammet Kalem, 16, had cuts on his face and body but was in good condition when he arrived at the hospital. He was expected to spend the night there for observation.

Dr. Riza Saribabicci said Kalem's survival with no food or water for almost a week was "beyond imagination."

Kalem had been trapped in a pocket formed by pulverized concrete. The material had kept him warm and reduced his need for water. Kalem had spent much of the time sleeping.

His father, Ahmet, had already dug a grave for his son, assuming the worst. The man's wife and older son are still missing.

Rescuers found five more bodies in the ruins Sunday.

Approximately 40 people are believed to be buried in the wreckage of the 11-storey building that collapsed Feb. 2 in the city of Konya.

Officials blamed the collapse on poor construction.

A Turkish court has charged two contractors with negligence and with ignoring building codes. No trial date has been set.