Turkey-Syria earthquake: region hit with another earthquake and tremors following death of 45k people

Two weeks after almost 45,000 lives were claimed in a 7.8 magnitude earthquake, areas of southern Turkey and northern Syria have been hit by further tremors.

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

At least three people are said to have died in Turkey in the latest incident. Hundreds more have been injured as building collapsed once again.

Hatay mayor Lutfu Savas told local media that he believed many people were trapped after returning home or collecting items after the quake on 6 February forced them to evacuate. Alejandro Malaver, a witness in the Turkish city of Adana, added that the newest tremor has left residents scared to return hoe to retrieve their personal items.

The earthquake on 6 February has devastated the region. Rubble has remained unmoved in cities, with essential infrastucture such as hospitals destroyed in the event.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has pledged to 200,000 new homes in the Hatay region to help those who had lost their homes in the earthquakes. He stressed that the new building would be no taller than three or four storeys high, as well as contractors liasing with “geophysics, geotechnical, geology and seismology professors” after the current condition of Turkish infrastructure was criticised in the wake of the devastating earthquake.