Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Feb 21: At least three people were killed and 213 others were injured after the two fresh earthquakes of magnitudes 6.4 and 5.8 hit Turkey’s Southern Hatay province on Monday evening.
Turkish Interior Minister stated that search and rescue operations are underway at three collapsed buildings where six people were believed to be trapped.
#TurkeyEarthquake | 32 aftershocks reported so far after two earthquakes of magnitude 6.3 & 5.8 jolted Turkey's Hatay province. Injured being rushed to Adana, reports Turkey's Anadolu news agency
— ANI (@ANI) February 20, 2023
The disaster comes just two weeks after massive earthquakes hit the region. More buildings collapsed, trapping some people, while many were also injured in neighbouring Syria.
According to Turkey’s Anadolu Agency citing the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD), one of the quakes occurred at around 8.04 pm, local time (1704GMT) in the Defence district of Hatay, with a magnitude of 6.4. In contrast, the other quake with a magnitude of 5.8 hit the country three minutes later, with its epicentre being in Hatay’s Samandag province.
The first quake occurred at a depth of 16.7 kilometres (10.4 miles), while the second one was at a depth of 7 km (4.3 mi).
AFAD issued warnings urging citizens to avoid coastal areas as a precaution against the risk of a rise in the sea level, which could reach up to 50 centimetres (1.6 feet).
Meanwhile, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay asked citizens to stay away from damaged buildings while authorities are scanning the affected areas.
