Turkey-Syria earthquake: Rescuers recover bodies of US couple holding onto each other under the rubble

In a tragic incident reported from the quake prone region of Turkey, bodies of a US couple were found under the rubble of a building.

Alex and Veronika Ilgin were a newly married couple who had relocated from Orlando, Florida to the Turkish town of Iskenderun to start their IVF journey and build their family. Their dreams were tragically cut short when the five-story building they lived in collapsed during a 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the region. Their bodies were found in the rubble of their own home, still holding onto each other in bed. The couple had only just moved to Turkey in January and were surrounded by Alex's extended family.

Alex's brother found the bodies under the rubble

Alex's best friend Vasilious Poulos told local media that Alex's brother found them under the rubble and confirmed that they were still holding each other in bed with concrete on top. Poulos revealed that the news of his best friend's death is yet to hit home.

Poulos revealed that the couple had moved to Turkey with the hope of starting a family. He lamented the fact that they did not even get the chance to hear the good news they had been waiting for.

24,921 buildings reportedly collapse or damaged due to earthquake

The devastating earthquake resulted in the collapse or damage of 24,921 buildings in the region. Building quality in a country that lies on several seismic fault lines has come into sharp focus in the aftermath of the quake. Turkey's Vice President Fuat Oktay announced that 131 suspects had been identified as responsible for the collapse of some of the thousands of buildings flattened in the 10 affected provinces.

Oktay stated that the government will follow up meticulously until the necessary judicial process is concluded, especially for buildings that suffered heavy damage and buildings that caused deaths and injuries. In response to the disaster, Turkey has issued 113 arrest warrants over building construction issues.