A 6.3-magnitude earthquake strikes the Turkish-Syrian border

[ad_1]

The US Geological Survey said that a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck the Syrian-Turkish border on Monday, February 20, two weeks after the area was devastated by an earthquake that killed more than 46,000 people.

Three people were killed and 213 wounded in Turkey, the Associated Press reported, citing Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu. More than 130 people have been infected in Syria, according to the Syrian Civil Defense, a volunteer organisation.

The US Geological Survey said the quake’s epicenter was near the city of Uzunbag in far southern Turkey, near Syria and the Mediterranean Sea. The Turkish government also reported the earthquake on its verified Twitter account.

Reuters reported that the tremor caused panic and damaged buildings in the nearby city of Antakya, and the earthquake was felt in Egypt and Lebanon.

The US Geological Survey said the quake occurred at around 8:04 pm local time.

“I thought the earth would open under my feet,” Mona al-Omar, a resident of Antakya, told Reuters, crying as she held her 7-year-old son in her arms.

“Will there be another aftershock?” she asked.

The Associated Press quoted Vice President Fuat Oktay as saying that at least eight people were hospitalized in Turkey.

Sky News Arabia reported, quoting the city’s mayor, that electricity was cut off in the Turkish coastal city of Iskenderun, and some buildings there collapsed.

Since the 7.8-magnitude earthquake on February 6, thousands of smaller earthquakes have occurred in the region, according to the Turkish government.

Across the border, the Syrian Civil Defense said on Twitter that people had been injured by falling stones, stampedes or falling off buildings. The organization said that two uninhabited buildings collapsed in one city, and other buildings were cracked in several cities.

In Aqrabat, Syria, children were evacuated from the hospital as a precaution despite the near-freezing temperatures outside, according to a video provided by the Syrian aid organization UOSSM.

According to Reuters, more than a million people have been left homeless by earthquakes in the two countries, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government is facing criticism over construction practices that failed to prevent collapses.

Authorities are also combating threats to public health, including infections of the gut and upper respiratory tract, in the aftermath of the earthquakes.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Turkey the day before, and announced additional humanitarian aid on Sunday that brought total US earthquake aid to Turkey and Syria to $185 million.

The United Nations has launched a worldwide appeal for more than $1.4 billion in relief operations.

This is a developing story. . Please check back for updates

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com.

[ad_2]