In the fire that claimed the lives of a mother and her three children, the heroic transporter spoke.

06.06.2025 16:01

Emrullah Eligün, a mover who rescued 35 people using a freight elevator during a fire in a 13-story apartment building in Diyarbakır, where a mother and her three children lost their lives, recounted the terrifying moments. Eligün said, "When we arrived, it was a desperate situation. I find it hard to describe. I have never seen anything like this in my life. People were crying, they were helpless. The fire had engulfed everything. Everyone was waiting on the balconies to be rescued."

A fire broke out last night in a 13-story apartment building located on 564th Street in the Fırat neighborhood of the Kayapınar district of Diyarbakır. The fire, which is believed to have started from the electrical shaft, filled the stairwells with smoke. Residents were evacuated using the fire department's aerial platform and a freight elevator from a nearby moving company.

A MOTHER AND HER 3 CHILDREN PERISHED IN THE FIRE

First aid was administered to those affected by smoke in ambulances. 17 people were taken to the hospital by ambulances. Despite all interventions, Bircan Çavdar and her children Yunus Emre (12), Zeynep (4), and Elif Çavdar (4) could not be saved. The bodies of the mother and her children were handed over to their father Süleyman Çavdar and relatives after the procedures at the Forensic Medicine Institution. The bodies were buried side by side in tears after the funeral prayer held in the Yeniköy Cemetery in the Bağlar district in the morning hours.

2 PROSECUTORS ASSIGNED

An investigation was initiated by the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, and 2 prosecutors were assigned under the coordination of a deputy chief prosecutor.

"THERE WAS A PANIC WHEN I ARRIVED"

The mover Emrullah Eligün (27), who rescued over 30 people using the freight elevator, stated that he rushed to the scene as soon as he was informed, saying, "I had gone grocery shopping. My relative Tuncay called me. He said to urgently bring the elevator. There was a fire in my uncles' house. We need to save them. I immediately left my shopping with a furniture friend there. I ran to my vehicle. Tuncay caught up with me. We went there through back streets. I thought I should go because I didn't want to disappoint Tuncay. Because they wouldn't allow such things. I thought, what is this elevator? They wouldn't allow it. But when we got there, there was a panic. I struggle to describe it. I have never seen anything like this in my life. People were desperate. The fire had engulfed everything. Everyone was waiting to be rescued on their balconies," he said.

"PEOPLE WERE CRYING, THEY WERE DESPERATE"

Eligün stated, "The fire department was rescuing those on the left side. I had no other option. I evacuated the right side. Then I went to the back side and evacuated that too. Then I went to another side and evacuated there as well. We saved elderly ladies, uncles, how many children, how many women friends. I wasn't even aware of what I was achieving at that moment. All my friends who saw my machine called me. They said, 'God bless you.' I have never experienced anything like this before. We experienced such chaos during the earthquake. People were saying, 'Save my belongings first,' 'No, save my belongings first.' It wasn't like that. People were crying, they were desperate. I saw people who were about to fight with each other. They fought over who would be saved first. I didn't listen to anyone; if I had, I would have saved fewer people. I started from the top and came down. Because they didn't know the system," he said.

"GOD HELPED, THANK GOD WE MADE IT"

Eligün, who said he did everything he could to save people, stated, "May God have mercy on those who died. I was very saddened. My crane is 45 meters, but I broke the baby gearbox because I was in a hurry. I could only set it up to the 12th floor. I couldn't set it up to the 13th, thank God there was no one on the 13th floor. I set it up to the 12th and came down. It was the eve of the holiday. There was so much traffic that I went a bit in the opposite direction to avoid the traffic. I went honking. God helped too. I didn't go through the lights. I went through back streets. I also went a bit in the opposite direction. I managed to get there. Thank God we made it," he expressed.

"THE MOTHER WAS SCREAMING 'SAVE MY CHILD'"

Continuing his words, Eligün said, "I worked there for about 3 hours. In 3 hours, I rescued about 35 people from three sides of the building. If it happened again, I would do it again. I hope it never happens again. I have never seen anything like this in my life. I hope I won't see it again. I have children too. I can't stand the sound of children crying. A mother came out on the 4th floor, screaming 'Save my child.' I couldn't set up to the 4th floor. Taking a risk, I sent Tuncay brother up without setting the elevator. I said, 'At least get the child.' Normally, I need to set this elevator against something. If you don't, it's very dangerous. Thank God we saved that child. Thank God the firefighters later rescued the mother too. There was a mother on the balcony, waving her hand, saying 'Save me, I have children.' I hope that mother is not the one. If she is, I would be even more saddened. There was nothing I could do for her. That was the other side. I couldn't reach that side. I was trying to save the right side. I couldn't reach that side. I was very saddened. I wish I could have made it," he said.