Turkey struck by a new earthquake, more buildings collapse

Three weeks after a horrific quake ravaged the region, a magnitude 5.6 earthquake hit southern Turkey on Monday, forcing some already damaged buildings to fall and killing at least one person, according to authorities.

Yunus Sezer, the head of the country's disaster management agency, AFAD, told reporters that over one hundred people were hurt in Monday's quake, which was centred in Yesilyurt in Malatya province. More than a dozen buildings were destroyed.

A father and daughter were rescued with injuries after being buried in the rubble of a four-story building in Yesilyurt. They had entered the ruined structure to get their possessions.

HaberTurk reported that search-and-rescue crews were digging through the rubble of two damaged buildings that collapsed onto parked automobiles elsewhere in Malatya. It was unclear whether or not anyone was trapped beneath the debris.

Malatya was one of eleven Turkish provinces struck by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake on February 6 that destroyed portions of southern Turkey and northern Syria.

This earthquake resulted in around 48,000 fatalities in both nations and the collapse or severe destruction of 185,000 buildings in Turkey.

Strong aftershocks continue to pose a concern, according to the AFAD director, who encouraged residents not to enter damaged structures. Since February 6, more than 10,000 aftershocks have struck the region.

Monday, the World Bank estimated that the vast earthquake caused $34.2 billion in "direct damages," or 4% of the nation's GDP in 2021.

The cost of recovery and reconstruction might be doubled, according to the World Bank, which added that GDP losses would significantly increase the cost of the earthquake.

Also, the World Bank estimates that 1.25 million individuals are temporarily homeless.

During a Sunday match, fans of the Turkish soccer team Besiktas tossed plush toys onto the field to support children injured by the earthquake. Gifts and winter clothing were thrown into the stadium's grounds for donation to children in the regions affected by the earthquake.