An earthquake of 5.6 magnitude hit the eastern province of Malatya on Wednesday. No casualties or substantial damage have been reported yet.
The earthquake’s epicenter was the district of Battalgazi, and it occurred at a depth of about 7 kilometers (4 miles).
The Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said in a social media post that the earthquake was also felt in nearby provinces of Adıyaman, Elazığ, Tunceli and Şanlıurfa. The AFAD said emergency teams were combing the affected areas for any damage or casualties. Video footage from Malatya and nearby provinces showed people running out of buildings and gathering in empty lots and parks.
Malatya was severely affected by the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes that struck on Feb. 6, 2023. The earthquakes killed tens of thousands of people in the region. Since then, the province has been rocked by earthquakes of varied degrees, usually below the magnitude of 4.
Speaking to broadcaster A Haber, Malatya Governor Seddar Yavuz said emergency services received 22 calls after the earthquake and six people were admitted to hospitals, including two people who jumped from upper floors in panic and four others who suffered a psychiatric episode, and none were in critical condition. He said a barn in Malatya's Yazıhan district had partially collapsed, and an abandoned building in the district of Doğanşehir had been damaged. He said schools were closed for one day in the province. Yavuz stated that Malatya became an earthquake-resistant city after rebuilding efforts in the wake of the 2023 earthquakes.
"We built 124,000 housing units resistant to earthquakes. This is one of the reasons that there was not significant damage today," he said.
