3 killed, 213 injured as fresh quakes hit Turkey

At least 3 persons were killed and 213 others were injured after the two fresh earthquakes hit Turkey's Southern Hatay province, Anadolu Agency reported citing Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu.

Turkish Interior Minister also stated that the search and rescue operations are underway at three sites.

On Monday evening, two earthquakes jolted Turkey's southernmost Hatay province, just two weeks after major quakes hit the region, the country's disaster management agency said.

According to Turkey's Anadolu Agency citing the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD), one of the quakes occured at around 20.04 pm, local time (1704GMT) in the Defence district of Hatay, with a magnitude of 6.4. In contrast, the other quake with a magnitude of 5.8 hit the country three minutes later, with its epicentre being in Hatay's Samandag province.

The first quake took place at a depth of 16.7 kilometres (10.4 miles), while the second one was at a depth of 7 km (4.3 mi). Both were felt in surrounding areas.

The quakes of two weeks ago, though centred in Kahramanmaras, 100 kilometres or more from Hatay, caused extensive damage in Hatay, reported Anadolu Agency.

AFAD issued warnings urging citizens to avoid coastal areas as a precaution against the risk of a rise in the sea level, which could reach up to 50 centimetres (1.6 feet).

Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay called on citizens in the region to stay away from damaged buildings as authorities scan the affected areas.

Turkey is still not out of the pain of losing at least 41,000 people and another earthquake hitting the country, the agency reported.

Millions of people who survived the quake need humanitarian aid, authorities say, with many survivors left homeless in near-freezing winter temperatures. Rescues are now few and far between.

Earlier, Turkey ended rescue efforts in eight out of ten provinces, almost two weeks after a massive earthquake killed tens of thousands of people, the country's disaster agency said.