Buildings were flattened and cars were destroyed by an earthquake in Iskenderun district, Hatay province, Turkey, February 6, 2023. (Sezgin Pancar/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
[The Epoch Times, February 21, 2023](Comprehensive report by Epoch Times reporter Li Yan) The European Mediterranean Seismological Center (EMSC) stated that on Monday (February 20) another earthquake occurred in the border area between Turkey and Syria, with a magnitude of 6.4. The depth is 2 kilometers (1.2 miles).
A powerful 6.4-magnitude earthquake shook central Antakya, the capital of Turkey’s Hatay province, causing further damage to buildings, two Reuters witnesses reported. A 7.8-magnitude earthquake and a 7.5-magnitude aftershock struck the region two weeks ago, killing more than 41,000 people and destroying buildings and infrastructure in the country.
Other witnesses said Turkish rescue teams ran around checking for injuries after the latest quake.
Resident Muna Al Omar said she was in a tent in a park in central Antakya when the quake struck.
“I thought the earth was going to split under my feet,” she said, crying as she hugged her 7-year-old son.
“Will there be aftershocks?” she asked a Reuters reporter.
Turkey’s disaster management agency AFAD said the 6.4-magnitude quake struck near the town of Defne in Hatay province.
NTV said the quake caused some damaged buildings to collapse, but there were no immediate reports of casualties.
News teams in Antakya and Adana, 200 kilometers (300 miles) to the north, also felt strong tremors when the quake struck, AFP reported.
Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency said the quake was felt in Syria, Jordan, Israel and Egypt.
The 7.8-magnitude earthquake on February 6 and the 7.5-magnitude aftershock a few hours later killed nearly 47,000 people in Turkey and Syria, left more than one million people homeless, and caused billions of dollars in economic losses.
Since then, Turkish authorities have recorded more than 6,000 aftershocks.
Responsible editor: Lin Yan#