Turkey, Syria: Additional damage and deaths following magnitude-6.3 earthquake in Hatay Province at around 20:04 Feb. 20 /update 1

Event

Additional damage and deaths have occurred as of early Feb. 21 following a magnitude-6.3 earthquake in Turkey's Hatay Province at around 20:04 Feb. 20. The epicenter was about 3 km (2 miles) west-southwest of Uzunbag. At least three people were killed, and 213 others were wounded in Turkey, while the quake injured more than 500 people in northwestern Syria. Reports indicate that more buildings have collapsed in Turkey’s Hatay Province. This earthquake follows a magnitude-7.8 earthquake Feb. 6 that resulted in more than 41,000 deaths in Turkey and at least 5,800 deaths in Syria as of Feb. 20.

It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas and regions already damaged by the Feb. 6 earthquake along with the subsequent aftershocks. Officials may temporarily shut down transportation infrastructure in the tremor zone to check for damage. Utility outages are likely, particularly near the earthquake's epicenter.

The tremor occurred at a depth of about 16 km (10 miles), and very strong-to-violent shaking was probably felt throughout Hatay Province. Moderate-to-strong shaking was reported in other parts of southern Turkey, as well as northwestern and western Syria; weak-to light shaking was reported as far away as Cyprus and Lebanon. Moderate-to-strong aftershocks are likely over the coming days.

Advice

Plan accordingly for aftershocks. Vacate multistory buildings if operating in affected areas until authorities confirm their structural integrity. Allow additional time for air and road travel, as aftershocks may prompt brief disruptions. Seek updated information on road conditions before driving in hilly areas in the affected region due to potential landslides.