New 6.3 magnitude quake rocks Turkey as death toll nears 47,000

IBTISSEM GUENFOUD and IVAN PEREIRA
·2 min read
17

A 6.3 magnitude earthquake rattled Turkey on Monday night, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, even as the country is still cleaning up from one of the worst natural disasters in its history.

The quake was centered near the southern city of Samandag, located in Hatay province, which suffered catastrophic damage in the quake that struck on Feb. 6.

MORE: How regional fault lines led to such a destructive earthquake in Turkey, Syria

The latest earthquake came as officials from Turkey and Syria said the death toll from the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck two weeks ago has reached 46,957 total, with 41,156 in Turkey and 5,801 in Syria.

PHOTO: An emergency service worker uses a cell phone amid the rubble at the site of a collapsed building that killed three people after a new earthquake rattled the region on Feb. 20, 2023 in Hatay, Turkey. (Chris Mcgrath/Getty Images)
PHOTO: An emergency service worker uses a cell phone amid the rubble at the site of a collapsed building that killed three people after a new earthquake rattled the region on Feb. 20, 2023 in Hatay, Turkey. (Chris Mcgrath/Getty Images)

Search and rescue crews in Turkey and Syria are surveying the latest damage from the new tremor. At least three people are dead, and 213 people have been injured in Turkey from Monday's quake, according to the Turkish government.

PHOTO: Rescue team members search for people in a destroyed building during the aftermath of an earthquake in Hatay, Turkey, Monday, Feb. 20, 2023. (Ugur Yildirim/AP)
PHOTO: Rescue team members search for people in a destroyed building during the aftermath of an earthquake in Hatay, Turkey, Monday, Feb. 20, 2023. (Ugur Yildirim/AP)

The mayor of Hatay said people are trapped under rubble from newly collapsed buildings from the latest earthquake.

PHOTO: People react after an earthquake in Antakya in Hatay province, Turkey, Feb. 20, 2023. (Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters)
PHOTO: People react after an earthquake in Antakya in Hatay province, Turkey, Feb. 20, 2023. (Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters)

At least 130 people were injured in northwest Syria as the latest quake struck, the White Helmets, Syria's Civil Defense Unit, tweeted. Several balconies and walls collapsed from the tremors, the White Helmets tweeted.

"Several civilians injured from falling building debris, stampedes, and jumping from high areas. Additionally, in Jenderes, north of Aleppo two uninhabited buildings and the minaret of a mosque collapsed," the organization tweeted.

PHOTO: Civilians wait in the middle of the streets after a fast evacuation of their homes because a 6,4 magnitude earthquake in Reyhanli, Hatay, near the border with Syria in Turkey, Feb. 20, 2023. (Celestino Arce Lavin/ZUMAPRESS)
PHOTO: Civilians wait in the middle of the streets after a fast evacuation of their homes because a 6,4 magnitude earthquake in Reyhanli, Hatay, near the border with Syria in Turkey, Feb. 20, 2023. (Celestino Arce Lavin/ZUMAPRESS)

There were no immediate reports of deaths in Syria.

MORE: Video Magnitude 6.4 earthquake rattles tremor-weary Turkey

At a Turkish camp for 700 people who are now homeless from the prior earthquake, buildings shook for about 15 seconds around 8 p.m. local time and lights went off in the distance.

PHOTO: This aerial photograph taken on Feb. 20, 2023 shows diggers removing the rubble of collapsed buildings in Antakya, southern Turkey. (Sameer Al-DOUMY/AFP via Getty Images)
PHOTO: This aerial photograph taken on Feb. 20, 2023 shows diggers removing the rubble of collapsed buildings in Antakya, southern Turkey. (Sameer Al-DOUMY/AFP via Getty Images)

Most of the people in the camp were sitting outside huddling around fires to keep warm when the earthquake occurred. Many started praying and shouting to get away from buildings.

PHOTO: An elderly man reacts after a new 6.3 magnitude earthquake in Hatay, Turkey, Feb. 20, 2023. (Erdem Sahin/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)
PHOTO: An elderly man reacts after a new 6.3 magnitude earthquake in Hatay, Turkey, Feb. 20, 2023. (Erdem Sahin/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)

Several aftershocks were felt following the initial quake.

ABC News' Engin Bas contributed to this report.

New 6.3 magnitude quake rocks Turkey as death toll nears 47,000 originally appeared on abcnews.go.com