Turkey-Syria: More Killed as Another Earthquake Strikes Border

A 6.4-magnitude earthquake has struck the Turkey-Syria border region at a depth of 7.7km, the Turkish disaster response agency AFAD said.

It said the earthquake was centred on the town of Defne, in Hatay province. Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said three people were killed and 213 injured.

It comes after the 7.8-magnitude earthquake and aftershocks that hit Turkey two weeks ago, which killed nearly 45,000 people in southern Turkey and north-west Syria. Thousands of buildings have been destroyed and Turkish authorities have recorded more than 6,000 aftershocks since.

In northwest Syria, the White Helmets rescue organisation said “walls and balconies of houses collapsed in several areas”. “Several civilians injured from falling building debris, stampedes, and jumping from high areas. Additionally, in Jindires, north of Aleppo two uninhabited buildings and the minaret of a mosque collapsed,” they added.

Monday night’s earthquake is believed to have originated close to Antakya, the Turkish city that was levelled after the quake two weeks ago. It was also felt in Syria, Egypt, Israel and Lebanon. The disaster management agency said on Twitter another 5.8-magnitude tremor followed three minutes later and its epicentre was Samandag district in Hatay.

Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay on Twitter urged people to stay away from damaged buildings and to follow officials’ warnings.

The tremor has sparked fear of yet more deaths and caused more trauma to those who lived through the first earthquake. In Beirut, some residents rushed out onto the street after the latest tremor.