A businessman from Northern Ireland expressed his grief after learning that his sister and her family had perished in the Turkish earthquake.
Ibrahim Urs currently resides in Coleraine, County Londonderry, but he is originally from the Turkish province of Hatay.
More than 35,000 people have died a week after the earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria.
The UN has issued a warning that this number may double.
Mr. Urs claimed that among those killed in the building collapse were his sister, her husband, and two nephews.
His family was all interred together on Sunday when he returned to Turkey.
He admitted to BBC Radio Ulster's Evening Extra, "All my family is so sad — we are feeling really bad right now.".
Mr. Urs claimed that his sister, Arzu, had been to him "a second mother" and that her name was Arzu.
He continued, "She was so young, and all the kids are so young, one of them is eleven and one is seven, they are so young.
He has traveled to Antakya, Turkey, where he is supporting his family even more by attending the funerals this week.
Mr. Urs stated that he was now preparing to return to Northern Ireland with his sister's daughter, who survived the earthquake but lost her mother, father, and brothers.
After witnessing her family members' tragic deaths, she was extricated from the debris.
We're just doing our best to take care of her, he said.
She is completely destroyed. She must endure this trauma. I'll make an effort to organize the documents for her. ".
Mr. Urs, who owns a barbershop in Coleraine's Kingsgate Street, commended the people of Northern Ireland for their assistance following the earthquake.
They have given me a lot of encouragement through texts, phone calls, and messages, and I really appreciate it, he continued.
I didn't anticipate it. There, I feel like I have a very large family.
I'm grateful to everyone.
. "
