New quake hits Turkey and Syria, killing six

ANTAKYA: A 6.4-magnitude earthquake rocked Turkey’s southern province of Hatay and northern Syria on Monday night, killing six individuals and sparking fresh panic after a large February 6 tremor that left practically 45,000 lifeless in each international locations.

The AFAD catastrophe response company reported the deaths in addition to practically 300 hospitalisations, whereas in Syria the White Helmets assist group mentioned a minimum of 150 individuals have been injured within the Aleppo area.

Monday’s quake hit the Turkish city of Defne at 8:04 pm (1704 GMT) and was strongly felt by AFP groups within the close by metropolis of Antakya. It was additionally felt in Lebanon.

Turkey’s disaster management company mentioned on Twitter {that a} 5.8-magnitude quake adopted three minutes later, with its epicentre within the Samandag district of Hatay province.

The company recorded two extra tremors with magnitudes of 5.2 round 20 minutes after the primary on Monday.

Photos from DHA information company confirmed a hospital in Antakya being evacuated, whereas broadcaster NTV reported {that a} hospital was evacuated within the metropolis of Iskenderun.

DHA mentioned sufferers in an intensive care unit have been taken by ambulance to subject hospitals to proceed their remedy.

Soylu mentioned rescue employees have been looking for individuals trapped below rubble.

‘Earth opening up’

An AFP journalist reported scenes of panic in Antakya, with the brand new tremors elevating clouds of mud within the devastated metropolis.

The partitions of badly broken buildings crumbled whereas a number of individuals, apparently injured, referred to as for assist.

On a avenue in Antakya, Ali Mazlum, 18, advised AFP: “We have been with AFAD who have been on the lookout for the our bodies of our household when the quake hit.

“You do not know what to do… we grabbed one another and proper in entrance of us, the partitions began to fall. It felt just like the earth was opening as much as swallow us up.”

Mazlum, who has lived in Antakya for 12 years, was on the lookout for the our bodies of his sister and her household in addition to his brother-in-law and his household.

‘Now not protected’

“The street moved like waves. The constructing moved forwards and backwards, the vehicles moved left to proper. It knocked me off my toes,” mentioned Mehmet Irmak, who works at a notary’s workplace in Antakya.

“Hatay is now not a protected place. We may hear loads of buildings collapsing… We’ll await a brand new day, however I do not know what I’ll do,” added Irmak, who had been sleeping in his automobile for 2 weeks after the primary quake.

The Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) mentioned 5 hospitals it helps in northwest Syria acquired a number of individuals who had sustained minor accidents, some when components of broken buildings fell on them.

In government-held areas of Syria, Aleppo hospitals additionally acquired panic-stricken residents, whereas six individuals have been injured by falling rubble, the state information company SANA mentioned.

Al Razi hospital in Aleppo acquired 47 circumstances, state media reported.

“We rushed out, we do not know the way we left. I used to be afraid that we’d meet the identical destiny as those that died below the rubble,” mentioned Khadija Al Khalaf, a 45-year-old mom, within the rebel-held metropolis of Azaz.

Aftershocks

Based on AFAD, greater than 6,200 aftershocks have been recorded for the reason that 7.8-magnitude hit Turkey and Syria on February 6, leaving tens of millions homeless.

Officers mentioned after the quake that aftershocks could be felt for a yr due to the pressure of the primary tremor.

Officers have set the loss of life software from that quake at 41,156 individuals in Turkey and three,688 in Syria, however specialists say the quantity will rise because the rubble is cleared and rescue operations finish.

Eleven provinces in Turkey have been hit by the earlier tremors and on Sunday, officers mentioned rescue operations would proceed in solely two: Hatay and Kahramanmaras.

“My ideas proceed to be with the individuals of Turkiye and Syria, as they face the influence of recent earthquakes placing the area this night,” wrote UN chief Antonio Guterres on Twitter.

UN groups there “are assessing the state of affairs, and we stand prepared to supply further help as wanted”, he mentioned.

Earlier on Monday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held talks in Ankara with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Overseas Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, as he wrapped up a go to throughout which he pledged solidarity after the tremors.

America has contributed $185 million in help to Turkey and Syria.