Second Earthquake of 7.6 Intensity Hits Turkey

ANKARA: A second major earthquake hit the already devastated southern part of Turkey on the afternoon of Monday in just about a twelve hours gap. A 7.6 tremor was reported at 3:54 PM local time in almost the same location.

A major earthquake with a 7.8 intensity on the Richter Scale shook the southern part of Turkey and neighbouring Syria at 4:17 AM local time today morning. Rescue and relief measures are still ongoing with thousands of people still trapped under the debris of the fallen buildings. According to the local reports, as many as 50 aftershocks of varied intensity have hit the region till now. With a major 6.5 intensity tremor hitting just 15 minutes after the first.

The 7.6 tremors have caused more panic among the people of the region as several of the high-rise structures were partially damaged and similar high-intensity tremors can cause the collapse of the remaining structures.

Meanwhile the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has appealed for support from the international community. He had appealed for specific equipment and specialists in the field to help in these rescue measures. He also mentioned that more than 2400 people have already been rescued by the emergency response team and the top priority is search and rescue as of now.

As all the major airports of the affected region remain inoperable, flying in support personnel and material remains impossible at the time. Millions of people still remain cut off in the cities, towns and villages across Turkey and Syria . He also asked for the support of the general public to work in coordination with the specialists to help in the operations.

More than 5000 people are expected to have perished on both sides of the border as rescue operations continue alongside the aftershocks. The figures are however only from Turkey and the government-controlled parts of Syria. Information regarding the militant-controlled parts of the country is yet to come. And as night comes, temperatures are expected to plummet to freezing limits causing more risks for both the people stuck there as well as the rescue personnel.

Also Read: 7.8 Earthquake Hits Turkey, More Than 100 Dead

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