6.4, 5.8, 5.2, 5.2 magnitude quakes hit southern Turkey

Duvar English

Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) on Feb. 20 evening withdrew the tsunami alert issued for southern Turkey after 6.4, 5.8, 5.2, 5.2 magnitudes of earthquakes hit Hatay province.

The first earthquake on Feb. 20 occurred at 8.04 p.m. local time in Hatay’s Defne district at a magnitude of 6.4.

Three minutes later, another quake hit Hatay’s Samandağ district at a magnitude of 5.8.

After the two quakes, state-run AFAD has issued a tsunami alert, warning residents to stay away from the coastline.

The AFAD later on the same evening withdrew the tsunami alert, saying "The warning for the sea level rise, which was given as a precautionary measure upon the Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute's warning, was removed as a result of the evaluations made with the Kandilli."

Later, two earthquakes at magnitudes of 5.2 hit Samandağ district again. 

The earthquakes came after two devastating quakes hit southeastern Kahramanmaraş province on Feb. 6, one at the magnitude of 7.7 and the other 7.6.

While reports were received that the heavily damaged buildings collapsed after the latest quakes, officials warned the citizens to stay away from the buildings.

Hatay Mayor Lütfü Savaş announced that some people are waiting to be rescued from under the rubble. 

The Hatay province was already heavily affected by the Feb. 6 quakes, as more than half of the buildings in some of its districts were either demolished or heavily damaged.

After the tsunami alert, Reuters photographer Ümit Bektaş shared a photo of tent area located in Hatay's Samandağ district for temporary housing of the quake victims, saying "no comment."

The moment of the earthquake was recorded by journalists in the region.