Syria and Turkey earthquake: Thousands raised at event by team of Halifax women including Instagrammer who should have been on border at time of disaster

Arooj Jamil, from West End, should have been in Reyhanli handing out food parcels to Sryian refugees when the earthquake hit.

She was in Istanbul with other volunteers for charity SKT Welfare the night before. It was only her flight there being cancelled due to adverse weather conditions that saved her.

"I keep thinking I could have been there, I would have been there,” said the 34-year-old.

Arooj – who has a popular Instagram account Rooji The Foodie – was supposed to make the trip in October but postponed because she was unwell.

"Everyone's phones started pinging to say our flight had been cancelled,” she said. “I had a look online and 280 flights had been cancelled because of adverse weather conditions."

She said it was sleeting but the weather did not seem bad enough to cancel flights. But those cancellations may have saved her life.

"The next morning, we heard about the earthquake,” she said.

“At the airport where we were meant to land, there was a massive crack down the runway.

"I felt so sad. I felt guilty for being able to hug my mum when there were so many kids who wouldn't be able to do the sale, and vice versa.

"I'm so grateful to have been able to come home and have my dad pick me up and see my friends."

Thanks to the generosity of her followers, Arooj had already raised more than £60,000 for Syrian refugee but launched another online fundraiser for Revive – a charity providing emergency aid to people in Syria - after the earthquake.

By the time she arrived home three days later, it had already raised more than £11,000.

Arooj and three friends – Tahirah Ahmed, Khizra Noor Khan and Fozia Hussain – went on to organise a food sale at King Cross Hub on Sunday which was inundated with donations and support, raising more than £2,500.

Arooj said the support and community spirit has been amazing.

“When there is a crisis, the community pulls together,” said Arooj.

"People really do show up. People have been donating thousands."

To donate visit https://fundraising.reviveda.org/product/help-rooji-provide-lifesaving-earthquake-emergency-aid-response-in-north-syria/