A magnitude‑6.3 earthquake hit the Syrian-Turkish border on Monday, two weeks after an earthquake that killed more than 46,000 people devastated the region, the U.S. Geological Survey said in a statement.
The USGS said the epicenter of the quake was near the southernmost tip of Turkey, near Syria and the town of Uzunbağ, near the Mediterranean Sea. The Turkish government also reported the quake on a verified Twitter account.
Reuters news agency said the tremors had sparked panic and damaged buildings in the nearby town of Antakya, while the quake was felt in Egypt and Lebanon.
Antakya resident Muna Al-Omar told Reuters she was crying as she held her 7‑year-old son in her arms.
“Will there be another aftershock?” she asked.
In the Turkish coastal town of Iskenderun, electricity was out and several buildings collapsed, Sky News Arabia reported, citing the town’s mayor.
The Turkish government did not immediately release any information about the damage or potential injuries caused by the quake. There have been thousands of smaller earthquakes since the 7.8‑magnitude quake on February 6, according to the government.
The cross-border volunteer organization Syrian Civil Defense said on Twitter that there were an unknown number of people injured by falling rocks, trampling and collapsing buildings. In some cities, uninhabited buildings have cracked.
Earthquakes have left more than one million people homeless in both countries, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has come under fire for construction methods that failed to prevent landslides, according to Reuters.
Officials are also battling public health threats such as intestinal and upper respiratory infections in the aftermath of the earthquake.
Secretary of State Antony Brinken, who visited Turkey the day before, announced additional humanitarian aid on Sunday, announcing that US earthquake aid in Turkey and Syria had totaled $185 million.
The United Nations is appealing for more than $1.4 billion worldwide for relief efforts.
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