The movement, of magnitude 6.4, hit the province of Hatay, the most affected by the earthquakes of February 6. It was also felt in Lebanon and Egypt.
A new earthquake struck this Monday (02.20.2023) the border area between Syria and Turkey, the same one that exactly two weeks ago suffered two strong earthquakes that destroyed tens of thousands of homes and caused the death of at least 47,000 people in both countries, 41,000 of them in Turkey.
The first reports from the Turkish authorities state that it was a magnitude 6.4 earthquake. Witnesses in the city of Antakya reported damage to the buildings that remained standing after the 7.8 and 7.5 earthquakes on February 6, as well as scenes of panic among those who now spend the night in tents.
The new quake generated panic among some residents.
The epicenter of the earthquake, the strongest of the thousands registered in recent weeks, was located in the Defne district (Hatay province), 2 kilometers deep, according to the European Mediterranean Seismological Center (EMSC) and was also felt in Egypt and Lebanon.
Injuries and building collapse
The authorities present in the affected cities, where the rubble removal and search for bodies continued after the earthquakes two weeks ago, called on the population to remain calm. The Defne City Council indicated that there was a power cut and that the entire area is in darkness.
“People are horrified. I see collapsed buildings but I think there were no people inside,” Hatay College of Architects president Mustafa Ozçelik told HalkTV. However, Lütfü Savaş, mayor of the town of Antakya, about 25 kilometers from the epicenter, assured that several buildings collapsed with people inside, presumably rescuers.
The Turkish authorities reported at least 3 people dead and 213 injured by this new earthquake, while in Aleppo (Syria) 70 people had to be hospitalized. Later there was a new movement, this time of magnitude 5.8 with an epicenter in Samandag, 18 kilometers south of Defne.
DZC (Archyde.com, AFP, dpa, EFE)
Earthquake in Turkey: the last survivors
“The one that won’t die”
Rescue 248 hours after the earthquake: after more than 10 days of work, the relief teams managed to rescue Aleyna Ölmez, 17, in Kahramanmaras. Miner Ali Akdogan, who took part in the operation, told the AFP news agency: “She seemed fine. She blinked her eyes.” Aleyna’s last name, Ölmez, means “the one who will not die”.
Earthquake in Turkey: the last survivors
She survived, but 250 neighbors died
That same day, 10 hours later, Neslihan Kilic was rescued, also in Kahramanmaras. In the complex of buildings from whose ruins she was pulled, more than 250 people died, according to CNN Turk. The woman was conscious and she asked about her family. Kilic’s husband and children are still missing.
Earthquake in Turkey: the last survivors
Miracles keep happening
The chances that those engulfed by rubble will survive drop dramatically after three days. 11 days after the earthquake, they are very scarce. But people like this couple do not lose hope, perhaps with good reason: here, in Antakya, 14-year-old Osman was rescued on the tenth day. An hour later, two young people were saved, according to the Minister of Health, Fahrettin Koca.
Earthquake in Turkey: the last survivors
time slips away
Many relief teams are still not giving up. The fact that some people could be rescued so many days after the disaster is mainly due to weather conditions, Ali Ihsan Ökten, vice president of the Turkish Medical College, told dpa. She explained that metabolism slows down in the cold. In summer, people would not have been able to survive that long without water.
Earthquake in Turkey: the last survivors
absolute exception
But also those that are still found now constitute an absolute exception. The experts agree on that. Because the cold also has a negative side: numerous people died because of it under the rubble. In the photo, survivors burn books in a campfire for warmth in Hatay.
Earthquake in Turkey: the last survivors
lose it all
Many of the people rescued have lost everything except their lives. This is what happened to Abdulalim Muaini (photo) who, weakened, gestures to those who saved him, two days after the earthquake, in Hatay. Muaini is the only survivor of his family. Under the rubble, very close to him, his wife, Esra, was trapped. For her, help did not arrive on time.
Earthquake in Turkey: the last survivors
one disaster after another
Muaini received medical attention after being rescued. He was dehydrated and had a swollen eye, but he was conscious. Friends of his told Archyde.com photographer Umit Bektas that Muaini is of Syrian origin and had fled Homs because of the war. In Hatay he had married Esra, a Turkish woman with whom he had two daughters, Mahsen and Besira.
Earthquake in Turkey: the last survivors
among ruins
Following Muaini’s rescue, it was unclear what had happened to his daughters. Hours later it was learned that they had not survived. The bodies of the victims, wrapped in blankets, were placed on the ground in front of their collapsed house. The earthquake, which cost the lives of more than 41,000 people, also destroyed the Muaini family.