A 6.3 aftershock hits Turkey, causing more damage and claiming the lives of 3

Two weeks after a massive earthquake that claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people in both Turkey and Syria, a magnitude 6.3 aftershock that struck southern Turkey on Monday evening left at least three people dead and hundreds more injured, according to Turkish and Syrian authorities.

According to the United States Geological Survey, the 6.3-magnitude earthquake near the town of Uzunbag in Turkey’s Hatay Province occurred shortly after 5 p.m. local time, as NY Times reported. The 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck the same province before dawn on February 6 was followed by a potent 7.5-magnitude aftershock a few hours later, both of which caused extensive damage.

As a result of the earlier disaster, many people in the earthquake zone are still too terrified to enter any buildings, so they are staying in tents and sleeping in their cars. The shaking on Monday further spread fear throughout the quake zone.

Three men were reportedly trapped when a building in Antakya, in the southern province of Hatay, which had survived the initial quake two weeks ago, collapsed. This was confirmed by a relative named Yahya Hallak. Hundreds of rescuers labored in the freezing conditions to move heavy rubble as they tried to reach the men into the wee hours of Tuesday morning, as noted by CNN. Some of them camped out for warmth next to fires or on the rubble while others slept on it.

The White Helmets volunteer rescue organization found that more than 130 people were hurt during the Monday earthquake in northwest Syria, which also resulted in the collapse of several other buildings.

Before downgrading its initial report to 6.3 magnitude, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) stated that the earthquake had a magnitude of 6.4 at a depth of 10 kilometers.

The public has been warned to avoid going near any buildings. Vice President Fuat Oktay of Turkey urged citizens “not to enter the damaged buildings, especially to take their belongings,” CNN reports.

Nearly two weeks after the earthquake, Turkey’s disaster management agency announced on Sunday that it had largely stopped its search and rescue efforts. According to experts, it is unlikely that anyone still trapped in the rubble will survive at this point in the disaster.

While authorities struggle with the logistical hurdles of transporting aid into northwest Syria amid a severe humanitarian catastrophe amplified by years of political turmoil, initiatives to recover survivors have been hindered by a cold winter spell throughout earthquake-stricken territories.

Turkey frequently experiences powerful earthquakes due to its location near tectonic plate boundaries. In the past 25 years, the nation has experienced seven earthquakes with a magnitude of 7.0 or higher, but the one on February 6 was the strongest and deadliest.

Since the earthquake on Monday was in the same general area but had a smaller magnitude than the original 7.8 earthquake, it is regarded as an aftershock.

Even though aftershocks can last for days, weeks, months, or even years in the case of a very large mainshock, they tend to become less frequent over time, according to the USGS.

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This story was originally published February 21, 2023 at 9:20 AM with the headline "A 6.3 aftershock hits Turkey, causing more damage and claiming the lives of 3."