Second major earthquake hits Turkey in less than 12 hours

Turkey reported a second major earthquake in the southeast of the country in less than 12 hours on Monday, after a massive 7.7-magnitude quake struck the same region, killing at least 1,500 people.

The new 7.6-magnitude earthquake occurred in Kahramanmaraş province in central Turkey and followed this morning's deadly earthquake that killed at least 912 people and injured more than 5,000, the country's Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD) said Monday.

According to the agency, the earthquake occurred at 1:24 p.m. local time and was centered in the Elbistan district of Kahramanmaras

The Turkish Emergency Management Agency (AFAD) said the second earthquake was an independent quake and not an aftershock of the first.

"These are earthquakes that trigger each other," said Orhan Atar of AFAD.

Strong tremors were reported in buildings already damaged by the magnitude 7.7 quake earlier in the day, while the new quake was felt as far away as Damascus and Arbil and in cities hundreds of kilometers away in northwestern Turkey.