The family of a Halifax woman who was killed in the devastating earthquakes in Turkey earlier this month says they had no help from the Canadian embassy in the capital of Ankara during their desperate attempts to find her.
Saad and Muthana Zora flew to the city of Antakya to search for their missing sister, Samar Zora, after the Feb. 6 magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the southern Turkish city near Syria’s border.
“The search was extremely stressful and now we’re just figuring out how to navigate our grieving,” Saad Zora said in an interview with Global News.
The Zoras said their ordeal was worsened by what they describe as a lack of action from the government, as the brothers navigated red tape while making arrangements to fly to the quake-hit country to search for their sister.
“They could have ripped off the band-aid quicker and just said, ‘We cannot help,’ you know, because essentially that’s what happened,” said Saad, speaking from Kuwait.
Samar Zora was conducting her PhD research in Turkey when massive earthquakes took place earlier this month.
Photo provided
Samar, a Canadian citizen, was doing her PhD in anthropology from Duke University in the U.S.
She was in Turkey to conduct her research.
Saad said he had provided all his sister’s information, including her address in Antakya, to Global Affairs Canada as well as the Canadian embassy in Ankara.
The lack of urgency in assistance, the constant back and forth and “redirection” only added to their stress, he said.
Muthana said the Canadian embassy referred him to the website and warned that it was too dangerous to travel to Turkey.
The two brothers went anyway.
Muthana took a flight from Kuwait City, while Saad flew from Halifax.
On their own, they organized an excavation that uncovered their sister’s body buried under the rubble of a collapsed building.
The Zoras now say they hope other Canadians never experience their ordeal.
“In my point of view, they haven’t done nothing – period,” said Muthana. “I mean, all that text messages and the back and forth … with the emails, that’s just a process. But nothing happened.
“I hope no Canadian will ever go through this.”
The Zora brothers flew to Turkey to try to find their sister, Samar, after the Feb. 6 earthquakes.
Photo courtesy: Summer Steenberg
In response to Global News questions about the matter, a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada said officials’ thoughts are with the family and friends of Samar Zora.
“Canadian consular officials in Ankara, (Turkey), were in contact with local authorities to gather additional information and provided consular assistance to the family as required. For privacy reasons we are not able to release any further details,” a spokesperson said.
“Global Affairs Canada is committed to providing effective and efficient consular service to Canadians around the world. Each consular case is unique and the assistance we can provide will vary depending on circumstances.”
The government of Canada’s website says international consular services include providing advice and guidance if a person is missing, but each case is different and that events like a natural disaster “may mean we are less able to help you.”
The Zoras, who were born in Kuwait, said they got more help from the Kuwaiti embassy, even though they are not citizens of the Gulf country.
“They made all the arrangements, they arranged our flights, they took care of all the calls,” said Saad.
EDMONTON – RCMP say a second suspect has been arrested in the killing of an Alberta county worker.
Mounties say 28-year-old Elijah Strawberry was taken into custody Friday at a house on O’Chiese First Nation.
Colin Hough, a worker with Rocky View County, was shot and killed while on the job on a rural road east of Calgary on Aug. 6.
Another man who worked for Fortis Alberta was shot and wounded, and RCMP said the suspects fled in a Rocky View County work truck.
Police later arrested Arthur Wayne Penner, 35, and charged him with first-degree murder and attempted murder, and a warrant was issued for Strawberry’s arrest.
RCMP also said there was a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Strawberry, describing him as armed and dangerous.
Chief Supt. Roberta McKale, told a news conference in Edmonton that officers had received tips and information over the last few weeks.
“I don’t know of many members that when were stopped, fuelling up our vehicles, we weren’t keeping an eye out, looking for him,” she said.
But officers had been investigating other cases when they found Strawberry.
“Our investigators were in O’Chiese First Nation at a residence on another matter and the major crimes unit was there working another file and ended up locating him hiding in the residence,” McKale said.
While an investigation is still underway, RCMP say they’re confident both suspects in the case are in police custody.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
RICHMOND, B.C. – The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the 26-year-old son of a man found dead on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast has been charged with his murder.
Police say 58-year-old Henry Doyle was found badly injured on a forest service road in Egmont last September and died of his injuries.
The homicide team took over when the BC Coroners Service said the man’s death was suspicious.
It says in a statement that the BC Prosecution Service has approved one count of first-degree murder against the man’s son, Jackson Doyle.
Police say the accused will remain in custody until at least his next court appearance.
The homicide team says investigators remained committed to solving the case with the help of the community of Egmont, the RCMP on the Sunshine Coast and in Richmond, and the Vancouver Police Department.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
VANCOUVER – Mediated talks between the union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver and its employer, Transdev, have broken off without an agreement following 15 hours of talks.
Joe McCann, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, says they stayed at the bargaining table with help from a mediator until 2 a.m. Friday and made “some progress.”
However, he says the union negotiators didn’t get an offer that they could recommend to the membership.
McCann says that in some ways they are close to an agreement, but in other areas they are “miles apart.”
About 600 employees of the door-to-door transit service for people who can’t navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since last week, pausing service for all but essential medical trips.
McCann asks HandyDART users to be “patient,” since they are trying to get not only a fair contract for workers but also a better service for customers.
He says it’s unclear when the talks will resume, but he hopes next week at the latest.
The employer, Transdev, didn’t reply to an interview request before publication.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
