A strong earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale struck near the city of Antakya in southern Turkey, resulting in three deaths and over 200 injuries.
The earthquake occurred in the town of Defne in Hatay Province, southern Turkey, close to the border with Syria, at 8:04 PM on February 20 (12:04 AM on February 21 in Hanoi), with its epicenter located at a depth of 10 kilometers. The European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) reported a magnitude of 6.4, while the United States Geological Survey (USGS) estimated it at 6.3.
The tremors were felt in Syria, Egypt, and Lebanon. A subsequent earthquake measuring 5.8 struck three minutes later, with its epicenter in the Samandağ district of Hatay Province.
Residents outside an apartment building in Antakya, Hatay Province, Turkey, after the earthquake on the evening of February 20. (Photo: Reuters).
Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu reported that at least three people have died and 213 victims have been hospitalized, while opposition forces in Idlib Province, northern Syria, stated that over 130 people were injured and several buildings have collapsed.
The earthquake occurred two weeks after southern Turkey and northern Syria experienced a devastating quake of 7.8 magnitude that resulted in over 47,000 deaths and hundreds of thousands of homes being destroyed or damaged. Turkish officials announced on February 19 that search and rescue efforts had been completed in all areas except for the two hardest-hit provinces, Hatay and Kahramanmaraş.
The epicenter of the earthquake in southern Turkey on the evening of February 20. (Graphic: USGS).
