Earthquake in Turkey: has there been another quake in Turkey and Syria, where was it, magnitude, latest death toll

Hatay was one of the worst-hit provinces in Turkey in the magnitude 7.8 quake that struck on 6 February. Thousands of buildings were destroyed there, including the governor’s office in Antakya, Hatay’s historic heart.

That quake killed nearly 45,000 people in Turkey and neighbouring Syria — the vast majority in Turkey, where more than a million and a half displaced people reside in temporary shelters. Turkish authorities have recorded more than 6,000 aftershocks, and it seems as if the worst is not yet over two weeks later, as fresh quakes struck the region once again.

A new 6.4 earthquake was felt in the Hatay province, as well as in the Syrian city of Aleppo. It was said to have also been felt in Syria, Jordan, Cyprus, Israel, and even Egypt. Another tremor followed soon after, measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale.

Here is everything you need to know about it.

What happened?

Journalists from Turkish newspaper HaberTurk reporting from Hatay said they were jolted violently by Monday’s quake and held on to each other to avoid falling.

In the Turkish city of Adana, witness Alejandro Malaver said people left homes for the streets, carrying blankets into their cars. He said people were scared and “no one wants to get back into their houses”.

Authorities issued a warning to citizens to stay away from the coastline over the possibility of rising sea levels, but the warning was lifted a couple of hours later.

The Syrian Civil Defence group, known as the White Helmets, reported that several people were injured in Syria’s rebel-held north west after they jumped from buildings or were struck by falling debris in the town of Jinderis, one of the towns worst affected by the 6 February.

In the Syrian city of Idlib, frightened residents were preparing to sleep in parks and other public places, while fuel lines formed at petrol stations as people attempted to get as far as possible from buildings that might collapse.

Have people died in the new quakes?

Eight people are now unfortunately confirmed to have died in Turkey and Syria in the new and powerful earthquakes. Officials had warned victims of the 6 February quake to not return to their damaged homes to retrieve personal items, but many people have done so.

They were caught up in the new quake, as the tremors shook their already unstable homes further. Turkey’s disaster management authority said six people were killed and 294 others were hurt – with 18 in a critical condition – in Monday’s 6.4-magnitude quake.

In Syria, a woman and a girl died as a result of panic during the earthquake in the provinces of Hama and Tartus, pro-government media outlets said.

The Syrian American Medical Society, which runs hospitals in northern Syria, said it had treated a number of patients — including a seven-year-old boy — who suffered heart attacks brought on by fear after the new quake.

What happens next?

Turkish vice president Fuat Oktay said inspections for damage were under way in Hatay, and urged citizens to stay away from damaged buildings and to carefully follow rescue teams’ directions.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Hatay earlier on Monday and said his government would begin constructing close to 200,000 new homes in the quake-devastated region as early as next month.

He said the new buildings will be no taller than three or four storeys, built on firmer ground and to higher standards and in consultation with “geophysics, geotechnical, geology and seismology professors” and other experts.