Magnitude 5 earthquake strikes eastern city of Malatya

MALATYA

A new magnitude 5 earthquake has jolted the eastern province of Malatya, with no casualties or severe damages reported, the country’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) has announced.

The earthquake occurred on Aug. 24 at 8:35 a.m. in Malatya’s Yeşilyurt district at a depth of 7 kilometers, as the tremor was also felt in neighboring provinces of Kahramanmaraş and Adıyaman.

In the city, which is already severely affected by the devastating Feb. 6 quakes, some residents, panicked by the morning tremor, took to the streets and waited in open areas for a while.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya noted that neither his ministry nor AFAD reported any casualties or injuries, adding that despite no reports of material damage, field assessment efforts were started in the city.

Malatya Governor Ersin Yazıcı confirmed that the earthquake did not cause any casualties or damage.

The eastern city has already witnessed the demolition of severely damaged buildings through controlled explosions.

Providing information about the recent tremor, geologist Okan Tüysüz pointed out that the seismic stress from the twin earthquakes of 7.7 and 7.6 magnitudes in February still affects the region, noting that there were expectations of a medium-scale quake due to the observed activity in Malatya for the past week.

Since the Feb. 6 earthquakes, numerous small and medium-scale tremors have occurred in the 11 affected provinces, with many experts emphasizing the long-lasting seismic shifts triggered by the disaster.