A magnitude 6.4 earthquake with an epicenter at a depth of 10 km occurred near the Turkish-Syrian border, transmitting the Al-Arabiya TV channel with reference to the European Mediterranean Seismological Center (EMSC). Turkish media report on the destruction of buildings and the complete blackout in the city of Hatay.
The Turkish Disaster Management Authority (AFAD) on its Twitter clarifies that first there was an earthquake of magnitude 6.4, the epicenter of which was Defne district in Hatay, then an aftershock of magnitude 5.8 with an epicenter in Samandag district. Tremors were felt in neighboring provinces, complaints Anadolu.
According to CNN TÜRK, during his visit to the Kahramanmaras Police Department, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was in the seismic activity zone.
The CNN TÜRK correspondent reported that during the quake she was in a tent city, which was “shaking incredibly”. According to her, “buildings that were not destroyed” by previous earthquakes have collapsed. Turkish TV channel A Habr aired footage showing the destruction of multi-story residential buildings.
Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay urged his fellow citizens to “stay away from damaged buildings” via Twitter. In addition, the authorities warned the population against approaching the coastline due to the threat of a sea level rise of 50 cm.
On the night of February 6, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Turkey. As a result, more than 41,000 people died, and more than 13 million were injured. The earthquake also affected Syria. Tremors were felt in Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt, Greece, Georgia, Armenia, and Cyprus. Seismologists have recorded fluctuations in Sakhalin, Indonesia, the United States, and Taiwan.
The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Europe, Hans Kluge, has called the earthquake in Turkey the biggest natural disaster in Europe for a hundred years. The BBC, after reviewing footage of the collapsed buildings and speaking to experts, reported that most of the collapsed buildings were built without safety standards. Later, Istanbul City Hall warned of the threat of houses of 10,000 residents collapsing in the event of an earthquake.
