A Duke University graduate student was among more than 41,000 people who died after a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Turkey and Syria.
Samar Zora was willing to travel the world to do research for her PhD, but her trip was cut short on February 6th.
An international effort has finally brought Zora home.
“We were just drowning in fear,” Saad Zora said of the search for his twin sister.
Saad Zora said his sister is an intellect and a hard worker. She had completed her research and exams. She was in the middle of a research trip that would take her to some of Turkey’s oldest cities and beyond.
In 2019, Samar Zora began studying at Duke University.
Saad Zora knew his sister was in Antakya, Turkey, the heart of the earthquake area, but didn’t know where.
He called and texted her from his home in Canada and eventually tracked her to an apartment on the first floor of a building that no longer existed.
“We had to go,” said Saad Zora.
Saad Zora was joined by his older brother Manara and Summer Steenberg, who is also a Duke graduate student. Steenberg was in the same graduate program as Samar Zora and was conducting her own research in Iraqi Kurdistan when the earthquake happened.
“To be honest, I don’t know what I would have done there without her,” Saad Zora said of Steenberg. “The summer has been an incredible help.”
Steenberg said the university accidentally contacted her. She then felt compelled to help and turned to Saad Zora, leaving her own research behind and joining him in Antakya where her classmate was killed.
“I found out shortly after that that her two brothers were headed there, and as soon as I knew they were going, I knew I was going because you don’t let people go into a situation like this on their own,” Steenberg said.
Steenberg said she was lucky to have a counselor who allowed her to go to Turkey to try and find her classmate.
“[She] definitely cultivated a lot of loyalty from the people closest to her,” Steenberg said of Samar Zora.
When the three people arrived in Antakya, what they found was devastating. Debris surrounds families searching for loved ones.
Saad Zora described the conditions in which they were staying.
“We had tents,” said Saad Zora. “There [were] a couple sleeps in the car.
“My brother was there two days longer because he lives in Kuwait, so it’s a faster trip. I flew there from Canada so it took a while [about] two days.”
Steenberg said it would take a lot of networking to find someone who could find the remains of Samar Zora.
“Everyone we sat with was waiting… waiting to reveal their loved one,” Saad Zora said.
On site, Saad Zora was able to reach South Korean and Hungarian rescue teams and lead them to his sister’s building.
“These rescue teams came by without hesitation [and] brought their K-9 unit, brought thermal sensors and I truly believe that if they hadn’t been there, that wouldn’t have happened,” Saad Zora said.
The rescue eventually turned into a recovery. Crews brought in an excavator to sort through the debris.
“The first excavation lasted eight hours and they had to stop at night,” said Saad Zora. “The next was about… just [less than] … two hours, and that’s when they found her.”
Saad Zora says he knew they were close because his sister’s landlord knew the furniture from her apartment.
“I mean it’s the end of the quest,” said Saad Zora. “Now we have to figure out how to deal with the grief.”
Samar Zora’s body was flown to Kuwait where she and her brother were born.
Saad Zora says his journey is not over yet. He hopes to help the people he left behind. Among them are other families who are still waiting and praying that those they lost will finally be found.
“It would almost feel like a crime … if we didn’t help,” he said.
The Zora family hopes Duke will recognize Samar’s work and dedication. They hope that the university will give her an honorary degree.