ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Turkey’s disaster agency on Tuesday said that the death toll from the recent earthquake that struck Hatay province rose to at least six people, two weeks after a devastating quake killed over 46,000 people in the country and in neighboring Syria.
The Turkish disaster and emergency management presidency (AFAD) said that 16 people were killed in Monday’s earthquake. It added that 294 were injured, with 18 suffering from serious injuries.
A 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck the southern province of Hatay, with the epicenter being Samandag, later followed by a 5.8-magnitude quake three minutes later.
Rudaw's reporter on the ground said that a few buildings have collapsed and the violent quake lasted for 10 to 15 seconds.
The quake took place several hours after President Recep Tayyib Erdogan's visit to the province accompanied by ultranationalist ally Devlet Bahceli.
The quake was felt in Syria, Palestine, and Lebanon, causing a new wave of panic and fear. The aftershock of the earthquake was also felt in Kurdistan region's Duhok province per Rudaw's reporter.
Syrian state media (SANA) reported that six people were injured in Syria by the tremor. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that more than 470 people were hospitalized following the quake that was felt in northern Syria.
A destructive 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the Kurdish city of Kahramanmaras in Turkey on February 6, with its impact also ripping through neighbouring Syria. Another quake followed in both countries hours later. AFAD stated on Monday that the death toll from the February 6th quake has risen to 41,156 people.
The latest tremor comes amid exhausted rescue efforts. Yunus Sezer, the head of Turkey’s disaster agency (AFAD) told reporters on Monday that rescue efforts have stopped in eight of the disaster-struck provinces but that rescue efforts continue in Hatay and Kahramanmaras.
By Azhi Rasul
