ISTANBUL (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th February, 2023) Hatay Airport in Turkey's southeastern city of Antakya halted operations on Monday after the 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 on Monday. According to preliminary data, the disaster left at least 912 people killed across seven provinces and 5,385 others injured. Strong tremors were also felt in neighboring Syria, which reported at least 371 victims. Later in the day, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said that it recorded another earthquake of 7.8 magnitude in the central part of Turkey at 10:24 GMT.
"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, citing Turkish shipping agency Tribeca.
The airport in the city of Adana, located in southeastern Turkey, also suspended operation after the two earthquakes, according to the Turkish media.
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.
