Feb. 20 (UPI) — Two more large earthquakes struck southern Turkey in the Hatay province near the Syrian border on Monday, just two weeks after two larger earthquakes in the region killed tens of thousands of people.
Monday’s earthquakes were measured at 6.4 and 5.8 magnitude, Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Agency said on Twitter.
The first earthquake struck at about 8:04 p.m. local time in the Defne district of Hatay and was followed about 3 minutes later by the smaller temblor in Samandag province, according to Anadolu Agency, Turkey’s state-run news agency. The earthquakes were reported at depths of 10.4 miles and 4.3 miles respectively.
The disaster agency said teams were on alert and urged residents to stay away from the coastlines to avoid the risk of rising sea levels and to stay away from damaged structures.
The mayor of Samandag reported some collapsed buildings and panicked residents, according to CNN.
The U.S. Geological Survey revised its report of Monday’s initial earthquake down to 6.3 magnitude from 6.4.
On Feb. 6, a 7.8-magnitude struck Turkey and Syria, followed by a 7.7 magnitude earthquake. Those temblors were in Kahramanmaras, about 62 miles from Hatay, but the damage extended to Hatay.
On Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the site of the earthquakes and announced $100 million in funds for Turkey and Syria.
