The brothers survived on urine and protein powder

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Two brothers trapped under rubble in the earthquake-ravaged city of Kahramanmaras in Turkey have been rescued after a harrowing ordeal.

According to the New York Times, Abdelbaqi Yaninar, 21, and Mehmet Anis Yaninar, 17, rationed bodybuilding supplements and drank their own urine to survive when they were trapped under rubble for nearly 200 hours.

“It was easy to breathe,” Yeniar told the Ihlas news agency, according to the Times. We took protein powder.

The brothers were among at least nine rescue operations a week after the 7.8-magnitude earthquake destroyed buildings and killed tens of thousands in Turkey and Syria on February 6.

According to Turkish state media, a woman, Necla Kamuz, and her 10-day-old baby, Yagiz Ulas, were rescued from the rubble of their former home more than 90 hours after the earthquake.

Al Jazeera reported on Tuesday that more than 35,400 people in Turkey died from the quake, while 5,800 died in Syria.

Durmus Genc/Anadolu Agency via Getty

“Our search and rescue teams are pulling our citizens alive,” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during a speech to the nation, according to the newspaper. “Even after long hours, he is the most important source of solace amidst this bleak picture.”

Hossam Haj Omar/Anadolu Agency via Getty

According to CNN, the quake is one of the strongest to hit the region in more than 100 years. It was followed by a 6.7-magnitude aftershock and another 7.5-magnitude earthquake about 100 miles north of Gaziantep, Turkey, nine hours later.

A surviving relative told CNN that four members of a New York City family visiting Turkey were killed when their building collapsed during the quake.

Related video: The number of victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria reaches 20,000: ‘We can call it the catastrophe of the century’

“There are no words I can describe how my family feels, how they were taken away so quickly,” her relative, Selma Salazar, told the news station.

She later added: “I want people to know that this is a really big problem in Turkey and Syria, and even though I lost my family, currently there are still people there.

To help with earthquake relief efforts in Turkey and Syria, consider donating to these organizations: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Doctors Without Borders, GlobalGiving, Save the Children, and the Syrian American Medical Society.

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