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

JetBlue unveils $100M Terminal 5 transformation at JFK Airport

New York’s hometown airline unveiled its plans to revitalize its flagship terminal at JFK Airport, which will undergo a $100 million extreme makeover over the next two years aligning with the Port Authority’s massive $19 billion overhaul of the international airport and its road network.

Long Island City-based JetBlue announced the overhaul at Terminal 5, which will feature more than 40 new concessions and amenities, including art installations and a redesigned center concourse. The terminal, which is managed by Fraport USA, will open throughout this year, and the terminal improvements will be completed by the end of 2026.

Queens TV actor convicted of 2021 St. Albans murder in real-life crime drama: DA

A TV actor from Rego Park is facing 25 years to life in prison after he was convicted of murder by a jury following a two-week trial in Queens Supreme Court on Friday.

Isaiah Stokes, 45, of 62nd Road, was found guilty of the fatal 2021 ambush shooting of 37-year-old Tyrone Jones in St. Albans on Feb. 7, 2021, as he sat in a parked Jeep Grand Cherokee, waiting for a friend to arrive for lunch at a nearby restaurant.