The 17-year-old Aleyna Ölmez was dubbed the "miracle girl" after being pulled from the rubble in Turkey on Thursday, 248 hours after the earthquake on 6 February, reports CNN.

Her rescue was later followed by that of 30-year-old Neslihan Kilic and a 12-year-old boy named Osman, who told rescuers there were more people buried nearby.

Reuters reports search and rescue operations have become increasingly rare, leaving sorrow and anger to mount as hope dies.

Aleyna was extracted from the ruins of a collapsed apartment block in Turkey’s southeastern Kahramanmaras province. Footage showed her being carried on a stretcher to an ambulance covered with a gold-coloured thermal blanket.

'At least 43 885 people have died'

At least 43 885 people have died across Turkey and neighbouring Syria following the powerful 7,8 magnitude quake.

While several people were found alive in Turkey on Wednesday, the number of rescues has dwindled significantly. Neither Turkey nor Syria have said how many people are still missing.

For families still waiting to retrieve their lost relatives, there is growing anger over what they see as corrupt building practices and deeply flawed urban development that resulted in thousands of homes and businesses disintegrating.

At least 54 people have been arrested in Turkey in connection with buildings destroyed or damaged by the earthquake.

The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, announced on Thursday an appeal for $1 billion in aid towards earthquake relief efforts in Turkey over the course of three months. It came two days after the UN launched an appeal for $397 million in earthquake aid for Syria, also covering a three-month period, as humanitarian bodies stress the need for psychological and mental health services in the affected regions.

OFM News