Ankara, Turkey: A 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck the eastern Turkish province of Malatya on Wednesday morning, shaking the region at 10:46 am local time (0746 GMT). Authorities confirmed there were no immediate reports of injuries or significant damage.
The tremor occurred in Kale, Malatya, an area still recovering from the devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake in February 2023, which claimed over 53,500 lives in Turkey and nearly 6,000 in Syria.
Turkey’s AFAD disaster management agency reassured residents in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “For now, there has been no loss of life or property damage following the magnitude 5.9 earthquake.” However, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya later reported that three buildings had “partially collapsed” and emergency services were responding to dozens of calls for assistance.
While local officials in Malatya indicated no serious developments, the province’s governor ordered the closure of all primary and secondary schools for the day as a precaution.
The earthquake was felt strongly across multiple cities, including Diyarbakir, located 140 kilometers to the southeast, and in Syria’s Hasakah, Deir al-Zor, and Aleppo provinces, according to local sources.