KEY POINTS
- The latest quakes struck in Turkey’s southern Hatay province near the Syrian border
- Three people were killed, and 294 were injured in the aftershocks
- The three casualties were recorded in Antakya, Defne and Samandag
Two new fatal earthquakes hit Turkey Monday, two weeks after its deadliest quake in recent history killed 44,000 people in Turkey and Syria.
Earthquakes of magnitude 6.4 and 5.8 struck Turkey’s southern Hatay province near the Syrian border, killing at least three people and injuring 294 more, according to Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD).
The first quake of magnitude 6.4 happened at 8 p.m. local time, the agency reported. The strong quake was reportedly followed by 32 aftershocks, the largest of which was of magnitude 5.8.
The three casualties were recorded in Antakya, Defne and Samandag, the BBC reported, citing Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu. The minister reportedly urged people to not enter potentially dangerous buildings.
Turkish Minister of Health Fahrettin Koca said Tuesday that 18 of the injured are in serious condition and were transported to Adana and Dörtyol.
Hatay’da bu gece yaşadığımız iki depremde 294 yaralımız var. 18’inin durumu maalesef ağır, ilk tıbbi müdahalenin ardından Adana ve Dörtyol’a hava ve kara yoluyla nakilleri yapıldı. Tüm ilçelerimizdeki Sahra Hastaneleri hastalarımız için gerekli hizmeti vermeye aynen devam ediyor
— Dr. Fahrettin Koca (@drfahrettinkoca) February 20, 2023
“We have 294 injured in the two earthquakes we experienced tonight in Hatay. Unfortunately, the condition of 18 of them is serious,” Koca wrote in Turkish. “After the first medical intervention, they were transported to Adana and Dörtyol by air and land.”
“Field hospitals in all our districts continue to provide the necessary service for our patients,” he continued.
Koca added that some hospitals that remained standing after the Feb. 6 earthquakes were observed with cracks after the recent aftershock, causing them to refer patients to other hospitals as a precaution.
“I wish for our injured, patients, local people and all the people of our country to get well soon. May Allah ease our pain with health and well-being, and protect us from new pains and worries,” Koca said.
Meanwhile, 130 more people were injured in northwest Syria in Monday’s quake, according to a report by CNN. The quake reportedly led to the collapse of a number of buildings that were already hit by the previous earthquake.
“Our teams are working to take the injured to hospitals, inspect the affected villages and towns, and remove rubble to open the roads for the ambulances,” the White Helmets volunteer rescue group said, as quoted by CNN.
The recent fatal quake is still considered an aftershock since it is in the same region and lower than the original 7.8 magnitude earthquake, CNN reported.
