Two moderate earthquakes shake country’s eastern, northern cities

MALATYA

A 4.9 magnitude earthquake jolted the eastern province of Malatya in the morning hours of Nov. 15, followed by a 4.7 magnitude earthquake hitting the northeastern city of Rize around 12 a.m.

The earthquake occurred around 10:46 a.m. in Malatya, one of the 11 provinces affected by the Feb. 6 earthquakes that claimed the lives of over 50,000 people.

"A 4.9 magnitude earthquake that struck Malatya’s Doğanşehir district and felt in the neighboring provinces of Kahramanmaraş, Adıyaman, Gaziantep and Kilis prompted all of the country’s pertinent teams to begin field scans right once,” Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said in a statement on social media. “Initial results indicate that there is no adverse circumstance.”

Yerlikaya stated in a separate statement that the earthquake in the northeastern city did not result in adverse outcomes either, noting that the relevant institutions received only two notifications due to dread caused by the earthquake.

 Rare quake in northeastern city

The earthquake hitting the Black Sea province of Rize has sparked concerns, as the province has not been deemed one of the most alarming areas in terms of earthquake hazards, while experts point out that the region in fact does not have the potential to produce a major earthquake.

"A catastrophic earthquake in the Black Sea is not a possibility. An earthquake hit [Black Sea city of] Artvin in 1892. Although its exact magnitude is unclear, it is thought to be [magnitude] 6. There is virtually little chance of a further significant earthquake occurring in this area,” Professor Dr. Okan Tüysüz told private broadcaster NTV.

Echoing Tüysüz’s sentiments, Professor Dr. Naci Görür also noted that the region does not feature any active faults at present.