ANKARA/DAMASCUS: At least three people are dead, 213 others injured after a new 6.4 earthquake jolts Turkey’s southeastern Hatay province, just two weeks after powerful earthquakes claimed tens of thousands of lives in the two countries.
Turkey-Syria earthquake: Aftershocks hit devastated region #Hatay https://t.co/oP427tzN2z pic.twitter.com/sT1f0kbIKi
— Mutlu Civiroglu (@mutludc) February 20, 2023
Officials said field hospital that was set up in Hatay to help people meet their daily medical needs was pressed into action tonight dealing with injuries from new quakes. The Turkish disaster management agency AFAD said at least 32 aftershocks have been recorded so far in the area, adding that the magnitude 6.4 earthquake took place at around 8.04 pm local time (1704GMT) in Hatay’s Defne district.
AFAD further said the quake was followed by a magnitude 5.8 aftershock three minutes later, with the epicenter in Hatay’s Samandag district.
Meanwhile, the toll in Syria has reached 5,814, taking the combined death toll in both countries close to 47,000. The United States has said it would continue to extend its full support to Turkey after two more earthquakes jolt the country’s southeastern province of Hatay.
The UN chief Antonio Guterres has said that the world body is ready to provide “additional support” after two more earthquakes jolt Türkiye’s southeastern province of Hatay, while Foreign, interior ministers of Germany expected to visit Turkey after earthquake disaster.
