There was a powerful earthquake causing additional damage to structures in central Antakya...
Digital Desk: A magnitude 6.3 earthquake shook the Turkey-Syria border region on Monday, according to the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC). Tremors were reportedly felt in Lebanon and Israel, among other areas.
Two Reuters witnesses reported a severe quake and additional damage to buildings in central Antakya, which was devastated by two large earthquakes two weeks ago, killing tens of thousands and wrecking buildings and infrastructure.
"This is the 11th felt earthquake in the Turkey-Syria Border Region in the last 68 hours," EMSC said of the earthquake near Turkey's southeastern Hatay province.
The incident reportedly occurred only hours after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken promised Turkey that Washington will assist "for as long as it takes" following two weeks of devastating, fatal earthquakes in the same region.
Blinken visited a region ravaged by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake and aftershocks that killed over 47,000 people in southern Turkey and northwest Syria on Sunday.
According to witnesses, Turkish rescue crews were rushing around after the recent quake, making sure no one was hurt. Several properties were destroyed in the catastrophic twin quakes two weeks ago toppled in the shock, according to CNN Turk, quoting eyewitnesses.
According to the US State Department, total US humanitarian assistance for the earthquake response in Turkey and Syria has surpassed $185 million.
On Twitter, Vice President Fuat Oktay stated that investigations were ongoing and advised citizens to avoid damaged structures.
The Turkish disaster service AFAD has advised citizens to avoid the Mediterranean shore due to a possible 50-centimetre rise in sea level caused by the earthquake.
Unverified social media videos posted by Reuters showed panicked people fleeing Antakya airport as the earthquake jolted the glass building.
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