ISTANBUL, Oct 16 (AFP): Many areas of eastern Turkey were shaken by a 5.9-magnitude quake on Wednesday although there were no immediate reports of fatalities, officials said.
The tremor happened at 10:46 am (0746 GMT) in Kale in Malatya, a province that was badly hit by a violent 7.8-magnitude earthquake in 2023 that killed more than 53,500 people in Turkey and almost 6,000 in neighbouring Syria.
"For now, there has been no loss of life nor destruction of property following the magnitude 5.9 earthquake," the state's AFAD disaster management agency wrote on X.
Shortly afterwards, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said three buildings had "partially collapsed" in three separate areas and that emergency services had received several dozen calls for help.
The minister said 187 people were "affected by the earthquake" -- 43 of them were "under surveillance" in hospital but many of them had been discharged.
Local officials in Malatya also said there were no "negative developments" to report at this stage, although the provincial governor said all primary and secondary schools would be closed for the day.
The tremor was strongly felt in several large cities in the region, including Diyarbakir which lies some 140 kilometres (nearly 90 miles) to the southeast, according to AFP correspondents on the ground.
Residents in several cities rushed into the streets, according to images broadcast by Turkish television stations.
5.9 earthquake jolts E Turkey
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said three buildings had "partially collapsed" in three separate areas
FE Team | Published: October 16, 2024 23:32:19
5.9 earthquake jolts E Turkey
Share if you like