Syria announced that “65 minor to moderate injuries were recorded, 3 of which required surgery, as a result of the earthquake that struck eastern Hama city before midnight yesterday,” noting that “the news about the death of a woman is incorrect.”
The Syrian Ministry of Health stated in a statement that “the 65 injuries were the result of panic, stampede and falls,” noting that “Al-Salamiyah National Hospital also dealt with 67 panic cases that arrived at it.”
The ministry said: “It turned out that the cause of death of the elderly woman mentioned was a natural death that occurred before the earthquake.”
Civil sources reported that “an elderly woman died in the village of Al-Raba in the northern countryside of Salamiyah, due to the state of extreme panic caused by the earthquake, but it was later revealed that it was a natural death and the cause of death was clarified by the Ministry of Health.”
The ministry confirmed that “all cases of panic and injuries received the necessary medical services in hospitals or during safe transport through ambulance and emergency system vehicles that were in a state of immediate alert and readiness.”
The director of the Salamiyah region, Brigadier General Khaled Al-Amarin, explained to the official SANA agency, “The earthquake that occurred in the Salamiyah region in the eastern Hama countryside last night caused the shattering of window glass, cracking of some buildings, and damage to them.”
In turn, the director of Salamiyah National Hospital, Dr. Osama Melhem, said, “Dozens of people with injuries and bruises were taken to the hospital as a result of their rapid stampede and falling to the ground while leaving their homes when the earthquake occurred, in addition to the presence of a number of people suffering from panic and nervous breakdowns as a result of that,” noting that “the necessary first aid and treatment were provided to the injured.”
For her part, the head of the Salamiyah City Council, Engineer Suhad Zidane, stated that “the earthquake led to a number of injuries among citizens, including fractures, bruises, wounds, and panic attacks. It also caused damage to a number of homes, including the collapse of some of the stone cladding in the buildings, the collapse and cracking of walls and ceilings, and the breaking of window and door glass.”
Zidane pointed out that “Salamiyah City Council was present on the ground immediately after the earthquake to inspect the affected sites and neighborhoods in coordination with all parties in the governorate, including the Health Directorate, the General Water Corporation, and the Electricity Company, and to respond to citizens’ calls throughout the night.”
An earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale struck east of Hama city at 11:56 a.m. yesterday, followed by a number of aftershocks of weaker intensity.
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2024-08-14 02:38:49