An elderly man sits amongst rubble after a 6.3 magnitude earthquake in Hatay, Türkiye, on February 20, 2023. Photo: Erdem Sahin/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock.
On Monday night, February 20, two 6.4 and 5.8 magnitude earthquakes shook the southeastern Turkish province of Hatay and northern Syria. According to authorities, the first earthquake had an epicenter in the Defne district, while the second one’s epicenter was in the Samandag district.
Spanish news agency EFE reported at least 213 injuries and three deaths in the Turkish province of Hatay. Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said eight people had already been hospitalized with injuries and warned the population not to enter buildings. The earthquakes caused panic among survivors of the strong earthquakes two weeks ago, which have caused at least 46,957 deaths, 41,156 in Türkiye and 5,801 in Syria.
Reports indicate that the earthquakes were felt in several neighboring countries, including Cyprus, Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon.
In videos circulating on social media, people can be seen fleeing their homes after the earthquakes. Meanwhile, a total power cut is reported in Hatay, one of the areas most affected by the first earthquakes and the destruction of buildings.
Evo Morales Condemns US for Sanctions Against Syria (+Earthquake)
According to AFAD, the Turkish emergency management agency, the main tremor occurred around 5:04 p.m. GMT in the Defne district, south of Antioquia in Hatay province. It was followed by the second earthquake three minutes later.
The initial tsunami alert, due to the proximity of the epicenter to the Mediterranean coast, was canceled shortly after by the authorities.
The second earthquake occurred 18 kilometers south of Defne. The Defne City Council indicated that there was a power cut and that the entire area was in darkness.
“People are horrified. I see collapsed buildings, but I think there were no people inside,” Mustafa Ozçelik, president of the Hatay College of Architects, told HalkTV.
https://twitter.com/botani4m/status/1627730652614238209
The Turkish authorities reported at least eight injured by this new earthquake, while in Aleppo, Syria, 70 people were hospitalized, according to data reported by the DW.
Government aid in Syria
On Monday, February 20, Syrian Minister for Public Works and Housing Suhail Abdullatif announced that the Security Committees in the governorates affected by the earthquake (Aleppo, Latakia and Hama) have completed the inspection of more than 41,000 buildings affected by the earthquakes of the February 6, reports SANA.
He explained that some buildings are completely damaged, some need structural reinforcement, some need simple maintenance, and others are in good condition.
Abdullatif pointed out that the Syrian state will provide everything it can to those affected by the earthquake despite the difficult situation the country is going through due to illegal Western sanctions.
He explained in a press conference that, from the first day of the disaster, more than 250 accommodation centers were opened in the affected governorates.
Minister Abdullatif added that several companies immediately began to supply 350 prefabricated housing units to house the victims. He said that since last Friday, these units began to be deployed in the areas hit by the earthquakes.
He clarified that the war imposed on Syria for 12 years and the sanctions caused many material losses, including thousands of vehicles that the country desperately needs to face the current catastrophe.
114 thousand people were rescued in Türkiye after the earthquakes of February 6
During a trip to the heavily affected Hatay province on February 6, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that over 114,000 people have been rescued during search and rescue operations after the deadly earthquakes in southeastern Turkey on February 6. “The rubble cleaning work is almost complete; 114,834 people have been rescued,” the president told local news.
(Últimas Noticias) by Odry Farnetano
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SF
