More than 30 aftershocks were recorded in Lebanon after the 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Turkey.
The earthquake was felt across Lebanon, causing minor material damage but panic among Lebanese still dealing with the trauma of the Beirut Port explosion and fear of buildings collapsing.
Marleine Brax, the director of the National Council for Geophysics, told MTV that we can expect aftershocks “for a long time” but their strength will diminish over time.
She reassured that there are no risks of a tsunami and called on the Lebanese to return to their homes.
She said additional activity will take place in the coming hours and months and the severity on buildings will depend on the duration of the tremor.
Experts say strong aftershocks are likely to continue for even months following an earthquake as strong as this one. It is the strongest earthquake to hit the region in over 100 years.
Smaller tremors are a good sign. The plates are readjusting back into a stable position and releasing energy in the process. It’s releasing the tension of the process. Without these tremors, the tension would build up and release the energy at once in a bigger earthquake.
The earthquake caused severe damage in Turkey and Syria with tens of thousands already dead.