New deadly earthquake hits Türkiye’s Hatay Province

Adana, The Gulf Observer: At least three people were killed and 213 others wounded after another earthquake jolted Türkiye’s southern Hatay province, the country’s interior minister said.

“Three of our citizens lost their lives; one in the Antakya district, one in the district of Defne, and one in the Samandag district,” Suleyman Soylu said at a news briefing on Monday evening.

Search and rescue efforts are under way at three sites, he added.

At least 32 aftershocks have been recorded so far, according to the Turkish disaster management agency AFAD.

AFAD said the magnitude 6.4 earthquake took place at around 8.04 pm local time (1704GMT) in Hatay’s Defne district.

It was followed by a magnitude 5.8 aftershock three minutes later, with the epicentre in Hatay’s Samandag district.

The new earthquakes hit Türkiye’s southeast, two weeks after twin earthquakes of magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 left at least 41,156 people dead in the same region.

The toll in Syria has reached 5,814, taking the combined death toll in both countries close to 47,000.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the world body is ready to provide “additional support” after two more earthquakes jolted Türkiye’s southeasterrn province of Hatay.

“My thoughts continue to be with the people of Türkiye and Syria as they face the impact of new earthquakes striking the region this evening,” Guterres wrote on Twitter.

“UN teams on the ground are assessing the situation, and we stand ready to provide additional support as needed,” he added.

Concerned citizens and members of various communities gathered in north London in a show of solidarity and support for those affected by the devastating earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria.

Islington Council held a vigil on Monday for the earthquake victims outside the town hall building which was attended by representatives of the Turkish and Syrian communities and faith leaders as well as local politicians.

“Tonight we stand with you through your grief and pain, through the pain of losing loved ones, through the pain of seeing the scale of the devastation in towns and cities across the region,” said Islington Mayor Marian Spall in the opening speech.

Also hailing the efforts of search and rescue teams on the ground, Spall called on everyone to remember and pay respect to those who lost their lives.