Turkey-Syria Earthquake Updates: New temblor leaves 3 dead, over 200 injured

As the Turkish government is engaged in a major rescue and search operation in two provinces to save the lives of victims under the rubble of buildings after the devastating quake hit the country last fortnight, two more earthquakes hit Turkey-Syria Border region on Monday, according to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC).

A pair of earthquakes measuring 6.4 and 5.8 in magnitude struck Turkey’s southeastern Hatay province Monday, two weeks after major tremors in the same area left tens of thousands of people dead.

Three people were killed and 213 taken to hospital after the quakes on Monday evening, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said in a televised statement, telling the public to stay away from damaged buildings. At least six people were injured in Syria, AP reported.

The fresh tremors come as the region is still reeling from two devastating earthquakes that struck earlier this month. The death toll, which already tops 41,000 in Turkey and thousands more in neighboring Syria, is expected to keep rising as emergency workers comb through collapsed buildings.

UN ready to ‘provide additional support’ after two fresh earthquakes hit Turkey

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the organization is ready to provide additional support to Turkey after the nation was hit by two fresh earthquakes on Monday.

“My thoughts continue to be with the people of Turkiye and Syria, as they face the impact of new earthquakes striking the region this evening. @UN teams on the ground are assessing the situation, and we stand ready to provide additional support as needed,” Guterres said in a tweet.

Feb 21, 2023 07:03 AM IST

You have made the country proud: PM to NDRF personnel in Turkey relief ops

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday interacted with the NDRF personnel who returned from Turkey after working in search and rescue operations there in the aftermath of the February 6 earthquake.

Feb 21, 2023 06:49 AM IST

‘Deeply concerned’ US will extend full support to quake-hit Turkey

The United States is “deeply concerned” over the two fresh earthquakes that jolted southern Turkey on Monday, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said and adding that they are ready to “extend full support.”

Taking to Twitter, Sullivan wrote, “We are deeply concerned by the news of earthquakes impacting areas already devastated in Turkiye and Syria. The US will continue to extend our full support.”

Feb 21, 2023 06:23 AM IST

‘Thought the earth was going to split open’

Reuters saw Turkish rescue teams running around on foot after the latest quake to check on residents, most of whom were living in temporary tents after the tremors two weeks ago. Muna Al Omar, a resident, said she was in a tent in a park in central Antakya when the earthquake hit.

“I thought the earth was going to split open under my feet,” she said, crying as she held her 7-year-old son in her arms.

Feb 21, 2023 05:59 AM IST

Turkey to build nearly 200,000 homes in quake-hit region: Erdogan

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Hatay earlier on Monday, and said his government would begin constructing close to 200,000 new homes in the quake-devastated region as early as next month.

Feb 21, 2023 05:20 AM IST

Two earthquakes hit Turkey fortnight after deadly tremors

Two earthquakes struck the border region of Turkey and Syria on Monday, just two weeks after the area was devastated by a larger quake that killed more than 47,000 people and damaged or destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes.

Monday’s quake, this time with a magnitude of 6.4, was centred near the southern Turkish city of Antakya and was felt in Syria, Egypt and Lebanon.