EeHH.CO.UK

A6.4 magnitude earthquake struck the Hatay province in southern Turkey on Monday, while recovery work continued two weeks on from the devastating tremors that killed more than 46,000 people in the region.

People react after an earthquake in Antakya in Hatay province, Turkey (Photo: Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters)© Provided by The i

On-air broadcasts covering the aftermath of the disaster were interrupted by the new quake.

CNN Turk correspondent Buse Deviren, who was close to the reported epicentre, said: “The ground slipped from under our feet. We were in the tent city. We shook unbelievably… Probably the buildings that were not destroyed were destroyed.”

There were no immediate reports of casualties but more buildings may have collapsed due to the impact, according to witness accounts.

Tremors were felt in neighbouring Syria, Jordan and Israel, according to Turkish state media. It struck at a depth of just 1.2 miles, according to the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre.

Muna Al Omar said she was in a tent in a park in Antakya, the capital of Hatay province, when Monday’s quake hit.

urkey’s disaster management agency Afad issued guidance to local residents not to enter damaged buildings or stand close to them, and to await official announcements.

It came just hours after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the Turkish capital Ankara, where he announced Washington would help “for as long as it takes”.

The quake that struck on Monday 6 February caused devastation on both sides of the border with Syria. The death toll in Turkey had risen to more than 41,000, Afad said, and it was expected to climb, with many people still missing.

Syria has reported more than 5,800 deaths from the earthquakes.

An international coalition mobilised to support Turkish emergency responders, with the recovery operation now winding down with hopes fading of finding more survivors in the rubble.

Several thousand aftershocks have been recorded in the region over the past fortnight, complicating the task of emergency workers and adding to the trauma of survivors.