Another strong earthquake occurred in the border area between Syria and Turkey yesterday, followed by an aftershock. Two weeks ago there were devastating earthquakes in the region that have killed 46,000 people so far.
Journalist Bram Vermeulen is in the Turkish city of Adana, which is a few hundred kilometers from the hard-hit province of Hatay. “Here too, the quake was felt throughout the city, people chose to sleep outside on the street in the parks or in the lobbies of hotels that are known to be earthquake-resistant,” Vermeulen said in NOS Radio 1 Journaal.
The program maker says people in Adana, which has been partially hit, are afraid it will be the next city to be hit hard. “The impact is very big, people don’t feel safe anywhere anymore. Geologists here say this earthquake is completely new and from a different fault line. That makes it scary.”
The quake of 6.4 is a very strong quake even for Turkish standards, says Vermeulen. “A big concern is that this has set off a chain reaction.”
‘People want peace’
The relief efforts in the affected areas are still in full swing after two weeks. Rescue workers from all over the world are working here, but the new earthquake means even more pressure on relief efforts. “At least two hospitals that could still be used after the earthquake on February 6 were evacuated last night,” says Vermeulen, who was a Turkey correspondent in the past.
“The earthquake complicates the relief effort and the next phase. People just want peace, but that peace is not there yet.”
- Another earthquake in Turkey and Syria: ‘You heard everyone screaming’
- Border region between Turkey and Syria again hit by powerful quake
