A new 6.4 magnitude earthquake hit Hatay province on Monday, one of the most devastating earthquakes in Kahramanmaras two weeks ago. The Bosphorus University’s Kandilli Observatory places the epicenter in the Samandag region – on the Mediterranean coast and 20 kilometers from the border with Syria – and at a depth of 7.7 kilometers, although the European Seismological Center of the Mediterranean assures that it is so was flatter, only 2 kilometers away. So far, no fatalities have been reported from this new quake, which struck at 20:04 local time (18:04 in mainland Spain) and was followed a few minutes later by strong aftershocks in the same area. On the other hand, several chains have confirmed that several buildings have been destroyed and that people are trapped under the rubble.
When the earthquake was felt, panic scenes erupted and crowds poured into the streets. The CNN Turk chain reported that large numbers of ambulances, rescue teams and military vehicles rushed to central Antioquia, where a search was being made for survivors of the previous earthquake, and damaged buildings were being cleared and demolished. In fact, the same chain showed a building that had tilted dangerously after this renewed quake and warned people were trapped under the rubble.
“We have received notifications and are evaluating them,” said the government delegate in Hatay province, Rahmi Dogan. AFAD, the Turkish government’s emergency management agency, also reported that it had received reports of collapsed buildings and said its teams were “ready” to act. He also warned of the risk of sea level rise “up to 50 centimeters” and urged the population to stay away from the beach areas. A video was posted on social media showing soldiers carrying the wounded out of a rubble area.
Several people who were in the area told this newspaper that the earthquake felt “very strong.” Journalist Mehmet Akif Ersoy, who was preparing a live broadcast for the HaberTürk chain at the time along with two other colleagues, explained that the tremors knocked the cameras down and the three had to hold on to stay upright.
The movement was felt in Syria, Jordan, Israel and Egypt, as well as numerous provinces in southern Turkey hit by the February 6 earthquakes, where many buildings are damaged and awaiting demolition. These magnitude 7.8 tremors killed almost 45,000 people in Turkey and Syria.
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