A 6.4-magnitude earthquake has rocked Turkey’s southern province of Hatay and northern Syria, killing six people and causing renewed panic after a massive tremor on February 6 killed nearly 45,000 people in both countries.
The AFAD disaster response agency reported the deaths and nearly 300 hospitalizations, while the White Helmets aid group in Syria reported at least 150 injuries in the Aleppo region.
The quake struck the Turkish town of Defne on Monday at 8:04 p.m. (1704 GMT) and was felt strongly by AFP teams in Antakya. It was felt in Lebanon and Cyprus as well.
A 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck three minutes later, according to Turkey’s disaster management agency, with its epicenter in the Samandag district of Hatay province.
On Monday, the agency recorded two more tremors with magnitudes of 5.2 about 20 minutes after the first.
“The road shook like a wave. The building shifted back and forth, and the cars shifted from left to right. “It knocked me off my feet,” said Mehmet Irmak, who works at an Antakya notary’s office.
“Hatay is no longer a secure location. “We could hear many buildings collapsing,” said Irmak, who had been sleeping in his car for two weeks following the first quake.
“We’ll wait for a new day, but I’m not sure what I’m going to do,” he says.
Three people died after becoming trapped after returning to their damaged flats to retrieve belongings, according to AFAD, which warns people not to return to homes in danger.
On Tuesday, the organization announced that it would send 6,000 additional tents to the region to shelter those in need.
– ‘Earth opening-up –
Images from the DHA news agency showed a hospital in Antakya being evacuated, while NTV reported that a hospital in Iskenderun had been evacuated.
According to DHA, patients in intensive care units were transported by ambulance to field hospitals to continue their treatment.
Suleyman Soylu, the Interior Minister, said rescue workers were looking for people who were trapped beneath the rubble.
An AFP journalist reported panic in Antakya, with the new tremors creating dust clouds in the devastated city.
The walls of severely damaged buildings collapsed as several people, who appeared to be injured, called for help.
“We were with AFAD who were looking for the bodies of our family when the quake hit,” Ali Mazlum, 18, said on a street in Antakya.
“You’re at a loss for what to do… We grabbed each other, and the walls in front of us began to crumble. The earth seemed to be opening up to swallow us up.”
Mazlum, who has been in Antakya for 12 years, was searching for his sister and her family, as well as his brother-in-law and his family.
The Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) reported that five hospitals it supports in northwest Syria received several people who had minor injuries, some from falling debris from damaged buildings.
Aleppo hospitals also received panicked residents, while six people were injured by falling rubble, according to the state news agency SANA.
According to state media, Al Razi hospital in Aleppo received 47 cases.
“We rushed out; we have no idea how we got out. “I was afraid we’d end up like those who died under the rubble,” said Khadija Al Khalaf, a 45-year-old mother in Azaz, a rebel-held city.
– Aftershocks –
Since the 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Turkey and Syria on February 6, more than 6,200 aftershocks have been recorded, according to AFAD, leaving millions homeless.
Because of the magnitude of the first tremor, officials predicted that aftershocks would be felt for a year after the quake.
Officials have put the death toll from the quake at 41,156 in Turkey and 3,688 in Syria, but experts believe the figure will rise as the rubble is cleared and rescue efforts wind down.
The previous tremors affected eleven provinces in Turkey, and officials said on Sunday that rescue operations would continue in only two: Hatay and Kahramanmaras.
“My thoughts remain with the people of Turkiye and Syria as they deal with the aftermath of new earthquakes that struck the region this evening,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres tweeted.
“UN teams are assessing the situation, and we stand ready to provide additional assistance as needed,” he said.
Earlier in the day, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara, capping off a visit during which he pledged solidarity following the tremors.
The US has provided $185 million in assistance to Turkey and Syria.
