An earthquake of magnitude 6.4 hits a province in Turkey devastated by a previous quake

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is making his second visit to provinces hit by the February 6 earthquake as search and rescue efforts for survivors of the worst disaster in modern Turkish history are winding down.

Here is a look at the key events of the Monday following the quake:

A NEW EARTHQUAKE HAPPENED IN THE AFFECTED PROVINCE OF HATAY

Another powerful earthquake occurred in the Turkish province of Hatay, which was destroyed by a strong shock two weeks ago.

The Turkish Disaster Relief Agency AFAD reported that an earthquake of magnitude 6.4 occurred near the city of Defne in the province of Hatay.

According to the NTV channel, several damaged buildings collapsed as a result of the earthquake, but there were no immediate reports of casualties.

Turkish state agency Anadolu reported that the quake was felt in Syria, Jordan, Israel and Egypt.

The magnitude 7.8 that struck on February 6 killed nearly 45,000 people in Turkey and Syria.

Since then, Turkish authorities have recorded more than 6,000 aftershocks.

NUMBER OF DEATHS CLOSE TO 45,000

The Turkish Disaster Management Agency AFAD has raised the number of confirmed deaths from the earthquake in Turkey to 41,156. This brings the total death toll in both Turkey and Syria to 44,844.

Search and rescue operations for survivors have been called off in most of the quake area, but AFAD head Yunus Sezer told reporters search teams are continuing their efforts in more than a dozen destroyed buildings – most of them in the hardest-hit province. from Hatay.

Under the rubble, there was no sign that anyone was alive, as three members of the same family were removed from a collapsed building in Khatai on Saturday – a mother, father and a 12-year-old boy. The boy later died.

EU SEES RISK OF OUTBREAK

The European Union Health Agency has warned of the risk of disease outbreaks in the coming weeks.

The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control said that “food and waterborne diseases, respiratory infections and vaccine-preventable infections pose a risk in the coming period that could trigger outbreaks, especially as survivors move into temporary shelters.”

“In the coming weeks, there is a high likelihood of a surge in cholera cases in the affected areas,” the report said, noting that authorities in northwestern Syria have reported thousands of cases since September last year, and a planned vaccination campaign has been delayed due to the pandemic. tremble

The ECDC has also warned of viral infections such as hepatitis A, parasitic and bacterial infections that can spread due to poor hygiene conditions in shelters and emergency camps.

SYRIA CALLS FOR Temporary Housing

Syrian Public Works and Housing Minister Suhail Abdul Latif said the Syrian government would provide 350 housing units for people displaced by the earthquake and called on “friendly countries” to send more.

“To the best of our ability, we will secure the victims, but after a while it is impossible to continue placing families in shelters to preserve their health,” he said.

Housing was a pressing need throughout the quake-hit areas, with many families sleeping in makeshift tents or crammed into overcrowded schools and sports stadiums.

ERDOGAN: RECONSTRUCTION TO BEGIN IN MARCH

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who faces elections in May or June, says his country will start building tens of thousands of new homes as early as next month.

Erdogan said the new buildings would be no higher than three to four stories, built on a firmer foundation and to higher standards, and in consultation with “professors of geophysics, geotechnics, geology and seismology” and other experts.

“We want to avoid disasters … by moving our settlements as much as possible from the lowlands to the (stronger) mountains,” Erdogan said in a televised address during a visit to the hard-hit Hatay province.

The Turkish leader said that the destroyed cultural monuments will be restored in accordance with their “historical and cultural structure.”

Erdogan said about 1.6 million people are currently housed in temporary shelters.

BLINKEN ENOUGH ANSWER AMERICANS

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken praised the support provided by the Americans after the earthquake.

Blinken said in Ankara that the US government responded to the disaster “within hours” and has sent hundreds of people and humanitarian aid so far. But he said ordinary Americans also reacted to the “heartbreaking” images from the quake area.

“We have nearly $80 million in donations from the private sector in the United States, (from) individuals. When I visited the Turkish embassy in Washington, I almost couldn’t get in the front door because the embassy’s driveway was littered with boxes,” Blinken said.

NATO SENDS HOUSES IN CONTAINERS

NATO says a ship with 600 temporary container homes has left Italy and is expected to arrive in Turkey next week.

The military alliance has pledged to send more than 1,000 containers to provide temporary shelter for at least 4,000 people left homeless by the earthquake.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, who visited the earthquake-affected region last week, called it the worst disaster in the history of the alliance.

Authorities say more than 110,000 buildings in 11 quake-hit Turkish provinces have either been destroyed or so badly damaged that they need to be demolished.