Monitoring Desk
ANTAKYA, TURKIYE: A 6.4 magnitude earthquake has struck southern Turkey, almost 14 days after a deadly earthquake devastated the region, BBC News reported.
According to the Turkey’s disaster and emergency agency Afad, the tremor occurred at 20.04 local time (17.04 GMT). The Reuters news agency quoted the Witnesses as having said that there had been further damage to buildings in Antakya.
It is to mention here that a 7.8-magnitude quake had struck the region on February 6, killing more than 44,000 people in Syria and Turkey.
According to the mayor of Hatay, in southern Turkey, people were trapped under rubble after the latest earthquake. The Turkish vice president said that at least eight people were injured in the quake.
The country has recorded more than 6,000 aftershocks since the February 6 earthquake, but the BBC’s team in the region said that Monday’s tremor felt much stronger than previous ones.
Witnesses said it was also felt in Egypt, Lebanon and Syria. There is panic and fear as small aftershocks continue coming. Lines of rescue crews and ambulances were trying to get to the areas worst affected in the quake where the walls of badly damaged buildings have collapsed.
A number of structures that survived the tremor on February 6 have now crumbled, including a bridge. Cracks in many roads have become deep scars making it quite difficult for the emergency services to get where they may be needed.
Antakya was severely hit by Feb 6 earthquake
The capital of Turkey’s Hatay province, Antakya, was one of the places hit most severely by the February 6 earthquake. An AFP journalist reported the scenes of panic in the provincial capital Antakya which was already devastated by the previous earthquake – with the latest tremors raising clouds of dust in the locality.
AFP reported that the walls of badly damaged buildings also crumbled, with several apparently injured people calling for help.
Read Also: Turkiye Ends Quake Rescue Efforts Except Two Provinces: Official
In a tweet, Afad asked the people to stay away from coastlines due to the risk of rising sea levels, although the warning was later withdrawn. There were also reports of several people injured by falling buildings in Syria, according to the White Helmets civil defence group.
