New Quake Hits Turkey, Syria, Killing Six

Posted by Samson Kankan Featured, Latest Headlines, World News Tuesday, February 21st, 2023

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – A 6.4-magnitude earthquake rocked Turkey’s southern province of Hatay and northern Syria on Monday evening, killing six people and sparking fresh panic after a massive February 6 tremor that left nearly 45,000 dead in both countries.

The AFAD disaster response agency reported the deaths as well as nearly 300 hospitalisations, while in Syria the White Helmets aid group said at least 150 people were injured in the Aleppo region.

Monday’s quake hit the Turkish town of Defne at 8:04 pm (1704 GMT) and was strongly felt by AFP teams in the nearby city of Antakya. It was also felt in Lebanon.

Turkey’s disaster management agency said on Twitter that a 5.8-magnitude quake followed three minutes later, with its epicenter in the Samandag district of Hatay province.

The agency recorded two more tremors with magnitudes of 5.2 around 20 minutes after the first on Monday.

Images from the DHA news agency showed a hospital in Antakya being evacuated, while broadcaster NTV reported that a hospital was evacuated in the city of Iskenderun.

DHA said patients in an intensive care unit were taken by ambulance to field hospitals to continue their treatment.

Soylu said rescue workers were trying to find people trapped under rubble.