A worker in a Merseyside takeaway said he has lost many friends in the Turkish earthquake disaster.
Ram Gazi, who is originally from a small town in southern Turkey, has lived in St Helens for over a decade and the 44-year-old has witnessed the devastation of the recent earthquake through phone calls and messages with friends back home. Ram now works at Geno's takeaway on Duke Street in St Helens town centre.
South-eastern Turkey and parts of Syria were hit by a devastating earthquake on February 6. Ram told the ECHO: "The situation is terrible at the moment, so many people have been killed and the people who have survived are living in tents because their homes were destroyed."
READ MORE: Met Office update as 'Beast from the East' could bring more snow
The official death toll has risen above 40,000, and will no doubt continue to soar as the rubble is cleared. Among these tragic deaths are some of Ram's friends and family, grim photos seen by the ECHO show lifeless bodies trapped beneath buildings.
He told the ECHO: "I have lost many friends already, one of my friends was 28, he was buried under rubble. He has a wife and two daughters who will now have no father and husband. It is horrible.
"Hours before the earthquake I had a video call with a lot of my friends over there, most of them did not survive."
Ram, along with staff at Costa Coffee in St Helens are arranging collections to be sent over to Turkey and Syria in an attempt to help out survivors. Anyone who would like to help can take toiletries, baby products, bedding, or clothes to Costa on Church Street.
Ram added: "We are just doing what we can to help so any donations would be appreciated."
Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here
READ NEXT
Police called to Nicola Bulley's home weeks before she disappeared
Man's secret life of crime exposed as he lay in hospital after being shot
Labour councillor blocked from standing after ECHO parking investigation
River Island shoppers praise 'incredible' £60 blazer that makes you 'ready for anything'