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Family of four from Corona die in Turkey’s devastating earthquake

A family of four from Corona was among the thousands of victims who perished in the recent earthquake in Turkey, according to several reports. (Photo via Facebook)

Feb. 8, 2023 By Michael Dorgan

A family of four from Corona was among the thousands of victims who died in the recent earthquake in Turkey, according to several reports.

Burak Firik, 35, his wife Kimberly, 32, and their two young sons — aged 1 and 2 — lost their lives after the building they were inside collapsed Monday, Feb. 6, due to the 7.8 magnitude earthquake.

The Firiks were on the top floor of the five-story building when the devastating quake struck, according to PIX11 News.

The earthquake hit southern and central Turkey as well as western Syria. It was followed by a series of aftershocks, and the most recent reports put the death toll at more than 11,000, with around 56,700 injured.

The Firik family had been in Turkey for around a month after Burak decided to leave his job to spend more time with his wife and his kids, Hamza and Bilal. They left their home in Corona and went to visit Burak’s family in Elbistan before perishing in the earthquake, the news outlet reported.

Burak Firik was a former board member at the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a nonprofit civil rights and advocacy organization. He was on the Turkish American National Steering Committee at the organization.

“We pray for Allah’s (swt) mercy for our brother Burak, his family, and all those who have returned to our Creator,” the organization said in a statement Wednesday.

Burak was also a board member at the Sunnyside Islamic Center.

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