You are reading

Family of four from Corona dies 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.

email the author: news@queenspost.com

2 Comments

Click for Comments 

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Unlicensed but essential: Street vendors seek reform amid enforcement fears

Jun. 23, 2025 By Jimmy Robles

Many street vendors in New York City face significant challenges from the moment they set up their stands, striving to make an honest living. With more than 20,000 food vendors operating across the five boroughs, an estimated 75% do so without a license or permit, due in large part to the city’s decades-old cap on available permits.

Repeat hate crime offender charged in anti-Muslim subway attack in Forest Hills: DA

A Southeast Queens man is being held without bail after he was criminally charged with assault in the first degree as a hate crime and other charges for allegedly punching and kicking a Muslim woman on an E train in Forest Hills during the early morning hours of Wednesday, June 18.

Naved Durrni, 34, of 106th Avenue in Jamaica, was arraigned in Queens Criminal Court on Thursday and additionally charged with aggravated harassment in the first and second degrees.

Hate Crimes Task Force investigating bomb threats against Mamdani: NYPD

The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force launched a probe into multiple death threats made against Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani after his district office at 24-08 32nd St. in Astoria received four expletive-filled phone voicemails, on various dates, making threatening anti-Muslim statements by an unknown individual, including a threat to blow up his car.

The calls were made from an untraceable number and labeled the mayoral candidate a “terrorist who is not welcome in New York or America” in a message phoned in on Wednesday morning.