South Eastern Region of Turkey was thrown into a state of pandemonium and panic as a new magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Southern Turkey near the Syrian border late on Monday just two weeks after the country’s worst earthquake in modern history left tens of thousands dead.
According to witnesses, the latest quake has further damaged buildings with many injured- though full extent of the damage is yet to be ascertained.
The locals indicated that the tremors were strong and lasting, damaging buildings and leaving dust in the night air in central Antakya city, where it was centred. Meanwhile, sources said It was also felt in Egypt and Lebanon.
Footages spreading on social media have police patrolling Antakya while ambulances rushed to the quake-hit area near the city center. Two people fainted, while others filled the streets around the central park making emergency calls on cell phones. The Turkish rescue teams were running around on foot after the latest quake to check on residents, most of whom were living in temporary tents after the tremors two weeks ago.
A local resident, said she was in a tent in a park in central Antakya when the earthquake hit. “I thought the earth was going to split open under my feet,” she said, crying as she held her seven-year-old son.
The European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said the tremor struck at a shallow depth of 2 km (1.2 miles).
It can be recalled that a 7.8-magnitude struck the region on 6th February, killing more than 44,000 people in Turkey and Syria, with many still trapped under the rubble.
Turkish authorities have recorded more than 6,000 aftershocks since that earthquake hit, but authorities in the region said today’s tremor felt much stronger than previous ones.
Meanwhile, the event of last two weeks took away the life of one Ghanaian citizen- Christian Atsu, a former Black Star’s player. It is yet to be known if any Ghanaian is also a victim of this current cataclysmic event.
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