Aftershocks in Turkey, Syria

At least six people were killed and hundreds more feared to be trapped under rubble as a pair of major aftershocks hit southern Turkey and northern Syria yesterday. The shocks came two weeks after another earthquake claimed almost 45,000 lives. Dozens of already weakened buildings are believed to have collapsed in the 6.3 and 5.8 magnitude quakes.

The seismic jolt hit Turkey's Hatay province near the Mediterranean coast atop the juncture of the African and Anatolian tectonic plates (see map). Over 6,000 aftershocks have been recorded since the 7.8 magnitude quake Feb. 6, keeping the 1.6 million Turks in temporary shelters on edge.

Turkey estimates over 100,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed out of 2.5 million in the affected area. Leaders announced a plan to rebuild these areas within a year at an estimated $25B cost.

On Sunday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken toured the leveled region, committing $100M in aid to Turkey and Syria.