(CNN Spanish) – A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck southern Turkey on Monday, according to information from the Foreign Ministry United States Geological SurveyTwo weeks after the deadly earthquake that claimed tens of thousands of lives in the country and in neighboring Syria.
The epicenter of the earthquake was 3 km southwest of Uzunbag and occurred at a depth of 10 km, according to information from the US agency.
For its part, the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Agency reported that a 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck the city of Defne in Hatay province.
The epicenter was in southern Turkey, near the border with Syria. (credit: USGS)
Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay tweeted a few minutes after replying asking people to stay away from damaged buildings, saying his investigations are continuing in Hatay.
Turkey’s Emergency and Disaster Management Agency (AFAD) tweeted a warning, saying: “It is important for our citizens to stay away from the coast as a precautionary measure against sea level rise of up to 50 cm.”
Mayor of Samandağ in Hatay region Rafik Erelmaz told local Haberturk TV live that “some of the damaged buildings collapsed in the recent earthquake. Because of communication difficulties, I am not in a position to check if there are people inside some Samandağ near the sea, Therefore, due to the warning of the Disaster and Emergency Department, an atmosphere of panic prevails in Samandağ.
This aftershock comes in the wake of the deadly 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on Monday, February 6th. The earthquake has so far left more than 46,500 dead and tens of thousands injured in both countries. It was one of the strongest to hit the region in over a century.
CNN teams in Adana felt the earthquake on Monday the 20th, as did eyewitnesses in Gaziantep and Mersin.