Miracle quake survivor graduates university
Aleyna Ölmez, whose miraculous survival after spending more than 10 days under earthquake rubble captivated the world, has graduated from university, marking another milestone in a story that has become a symbol of resilience in Türkiye.
The 20-year-old received her diploma from the Social Security Department at Ankara University’s Ayaş Vocational College during a graduation ceremony in the capital, accompanied by the miners who pulled her from the collapsed Atabey Apartment building in the southeastern province of Kahramanmaraş and the doctors who oversaw her recovery.
Ölmez was trapped beneath the rubble for 248 hours in the Dulkadiroğlu district, where she lost her parents and younger sibling in the twin earthquakes. Following her rescue, she was initially treated in Kahramanmaraş before being airlifted to Ankara University’s Cebeci Hospital.
Doctors operated on her for a pelvic fracture, while she suffered only minor injuries elsewhere. Medical experts had said her survival was likely aided by remaining in a fetal position under lateral pressure during the collapse.
