Three dead and over 200 injured as new earthquake hits Turkey
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Alaina
- . February 21, 2023
- . Update: February 22, 2023 10:42 am
Three people have died and 213 others have been injured after the new earthquake hit Turkey on Monday (20 February), according to Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu.
A powerful 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck Turkey and Syria, two weeks after a massive earthquake that killed around 45,000 people.
According to officials, more buildings collapsed and several people were injured in Turkey and Syria following the new earthquake. The new earthquake occurred in the town of Defne in Turkey’s Hatay province. Hatay’s mayor Lutfu Savas said that many people were trapped inside the building in the new quake.
Fuat Oktay, the Vice President of Turkey, said that at least eight people were hospitalized in the country. Turkish police rescued one person who was trapped inside a 3-story building in Hatay province. In Adana, people left their homes for the streets, carrying blankets into their cars.
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According to the Syrian Civil Defense, many people were injured in Syria’s rebel-held northwest. However, there were no immediate reports of casualties.
The Syrian American Medical Society said many people suffered heart attacks due to fear following the new quake. The Syrian American Medical Society urged citizens to stay away from damaged buildings.
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the President of Turkey, visited Hatay province to check on earthquake survivors. He revealed that his government would begin constructing nearly 200,000 new homes in the region. According to Hatay province’s mayor Lutfu Savas, at least 80% of the buildings have to be rebuilt in Hatay.
Reportedly, around 1.6 million people are currently living in temporary shelters in Turkey. On 6 February, a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Turkey and Syria. It killed thousands of people across the region. Many countries and organisations sent relief aid to Turkey and Syria to help people affected by the destructive earthquake.
