Latest update July 28th, 2026 10:33 AM
Feb 21, 2023 News
Reuters – A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck southern Turkey near the Syrian border late on Monday, setting off panic and further damaging buildings two weeks after the country’s worst earthquake in modern history left tens of thousands dead.
Two Reuters reporters said the tremors were strong and lasting, damaging buildings and leaving dust in the night air in central Antakya city, where it was centred. It was also felt in Egypt and Lebanon, Reuters reporters said.
The European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said the tremor struck at a shallow depth of 2 km (1.2 miles).
Police patrolled Antakya while ambulances rushed to the quake-hit area near the city center. Two people fainted, while others filled the streets around the central park making emergency calls on cell phones.
Reuters saw Turkish rescue teams running around on foot after the latest quake to check on residents, most of whom were living in temporary tents after the tremors two weeks ago.
Muna Al Omar, a resident, said she was in a tent in a park in central Antakya when the earthquake hit.
“I thought the earth was going to split open under my feet,” she said, crying as she held her 7-year-old son in her arms.
“Is there going to be another aftershock?” she asked.

An aerial view shows collapsed and damaged buildings following an earthquake in Hatay, Turkey February 7, 2023. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
The two larger earthquakes that hit on Feb. 6, which also rocked neighbouring Syria, left more than a million homeless and killed far more than the latest official tally of 46,000 people in both countries.
Smaller tremors have jolted the region in the last two weeks but the Monday quake was the largest since Feb. 6.
“It was very strong. It jolted us out of our places,” said Burhan Abdelrahman, who was walking out of his tent in a camp in Antakya city centre when the earthquake struck.
“I called relatives in Syria, Adana, Mersin, Izmir, everywhere, to check on them.”
Turkey’s disaster agency AFAD urged residents to stay away from the Mediterranean coast over a possible 50-centimetre rise in waters due to the quake.
Videos posted on social media, unverified by Reuters, showed passengers at Antakya airport taking cover in panic as the quake jolted the glass building.
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Jul 28, 2026
Cricinfo – The first ever Test at Tarouba made giant strides on the third day, claiming 14 wickets and hurtling towards its denouement. And yet, it appeared to stand in almost exactly the same...Jul 28, 2026
(Kaieteur News) – Parliament has never been a silent chamber. Around the world, legislatures have always been places where members interrupt, heckle, applaud loudly, exchange sharp remarks and use wit to make political points. These moments are part of parliamentary democracy. They reflect...Jul 19, 2026
By Sir Ronald Sanders (Kaieteur News) – Few issues test the sovereignty of small states more severely than requests made by powerful friends. How should a country respond when cooperation is expected, but the proposed terms exceed its legal, financial and institutional capacity? That question...Jul 27, 2026
(Kaieteur News) – There’s human devastation. Still, the PPP Govt commits to deflection. The MV Barima disaster qualifies as extreme domestic devastation. Families and communities battered. The nation bowed. Rather than strengthening citizens in a time of tribulation, the government...Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.
Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: glennlall2000@gmail.com / kaieteurnews@yahoo.com