Ankara [Turkey], February 21: A new strong earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale shook the border region between Turkey and Syria on Monday evening, Reuters reported.
According to the European Mediterranean Seismological Center (EMSC), the epicenter was at a depth of 10 kilometers 14 km northwest of Antakya in Hatay province and 70 km north of the Syrian port of Latakia.
The tremor was registered at 20:04 local time (19:04 Bulgarian time). It was also felt in Egypt and Lebanon.
According to the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD), three minutes later there was another 5.8 earthquake with an epicenter in Samandag in the same province, as well as several smaller aftershocks with a magnitude between 3.1 and 5.2 on the Richter scale within the next half hour.
Reuters reports that the earthquake caused panic and destroyed more buildings in Antakya, which was hit hard two weeks ago.
"I thought the ground was going to split under my feet," said Muna Al Omar, who was in her tent in a city park with her 7-year-old son when the quake struck.
On February 6, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck southern and central Turkey and northern Syria, followed by a 7.7-magnitude quake nine hours later. The quakes caused catastrophic destruction and killed more than 45,000 people. Millions are homeless. On Sunday, Turkish authorities announced the end of rescue operations in most cities affected by the disaster.
Source: Novinite