ISTANBUL (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th February, 2023) Hatay Airport in Turkey's southeastern city of Antakya halted its operations on Monday after a runway was destructed as a result of a massive earthquake in the region, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said.
A 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit Turkey's Kahramanmaras province at 04:17 a.m. local time (01:17 GMT) earlier in the day. According to preliminary data, the disaster left at least 284 people killed across seven provinces and 2,383 others injured. Strong tremors were also felt in neighboring Syria, which reported at least 237 victims.
"Hatay Airport in Antakya was put out of action due to the destruction of the runway," Oktay told a briefing.
Operations were also suspended in the Turkish port of Ceyhan due to the earthquake, Reuters reported later in the day, citing Turkish shipping agency Tribeca.
Turkey has recorded as many as 80 aftershocks after the earthquake, the Turkish vice president said, adding that Ankara had also received offers of assistance from several countries, mainly in the form of sending search and rescue teams.
