Three major earthquakes rock Dardanelles for second day

ÇANAKKALE

AA photo

A series of earthquakes continued to rock the western Turkish province of Çanakkale for a second day on Feb. 7, with more than 300 aftershocks affecting worried locals in the region, Doğan News Agency has reported.

The first quake with a magnitude of 5.3 was recorded at 6:51 a.m. in the Ayvacık district on Feb. 6. It was followed by another with the same magnitude at 13.58 p.m., according to figures by the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD). The latest major quake occurred in the Gülpınar village at 5.24 a.m. on Feb. 7, with a magnitude of 5.2, AFAD added.

Nearly 320 aftershocks have been recorded after the quakes, which were also felt in nearby provinces, AFAD stated. Around 300 houses in the region were damaged as locals remained scared of returning home, settling in tent cities set up near the village of Yukarıköy, which was badly affected by the quakes. 

AFAD and the Turkish Red Crescent are setting up a container city for the victims in the area.

Schools in the district were also canceled for a second day.

The Çanakkale Governor’s Office announced on Feb. 7 that eight people were injured in the first quake on Feb. 6, five of whom were discharged from hospital and three of whom were in a stable condition.

Professor Haluk Özener, the head of the Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute, said the quakes were “unsurprising” and noted that earthquakes between the 5 and 5.5 magnitude range were “natural” for the region.