Three persons were killed and more than 200 were injured after a new earthquake of 6.4-magnitude struck southern Turkey near the Syrian border on Monday night, Reuters reported.
The quake was centred in the town of Defne in Turkey’s Hatay province at a shallow depth of 2 km, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre said. It was felt in Syria, Jordan, Cyprus, Israel and Egypt, according to The Associated Press. This was followed by another quake of magnitude 5.8 three minutes later.
The development came two weeks after the region was devastated by two major earthquakes, killing over 45,000 people in Turkey and Syria.
The initial 7.8-magnitude earthquake had hit close to the Turkish city of Gaziantep early on February 6. It was followed by another earthquake of 7.5 magnitude and several aftershocks, causing widespread destruction in both countries.
On Monday, Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said that search and rescue efforts were underway in three collapsed buildings where six people were believed to be trapped. He also warned the public not to enter potentially dangerous buildings.
The Turkish Police said that those trapped include people who were helping others shift furniture and belongings from the buildings that were damaged in the previous quake, according to the Associated Press.
Media reports from the city of Antakya said that the new quake set fear and panic among the public. “I thought the earth was going to split open under my feet,” a resident told Reuters.
In Syria, the White Helmets rescue group, which operates in rebel-held areas in the country, said that at least 130 people sustained injuries.
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