Magnitude 5.3 earthquake strikes eastern Turkey

Photo: AA

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A 5.3 magnitude earthquake late yesterday struck the Yeşilyurt district of Malatya, eastern Turkey, the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) reported.

Malatya was one of the 11 provinces affected by the devastating dual earthquake centered in Maraş in February.

Yesterday's quake occurred at a depth of 7 kilometers beneath the surface at 20:48 local time (GMT+3), according to AFAD.

The tremor was felt not only in Malatya but also in Kahramanmaraş, Adıyaman, Şanlıurfa, and Gaziantep. Following the seismic activity, some citizens took to the streets as a precautionary measure, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported.

In a social media post, Minister of Interior Ali Yerlikaya announced that 22 citizens suffered minor injuries.

Some of the injuries occurred as a result of people jumping from balconies, Malatya Governor Ersin Yazıcı told AA. Also, one child's leg was broken while passing by on the street, and the child was taken to the hospital.

A derelict building collapsed in the earthquake, he said, adding that search and rescue operations were underway.

Prominent earthquake expert Naci Görür said on social media, "Following the initial 4.3 magnitude Öncü-Yeşilyurt earthquake in Malatya, there was a subsequent 5.2 magnitude İkizce-Yeşilyurt earthquake. It is highly likely that the Öncü earthquake is a precursor to the İkizce earthquake. These fault lines are not marked on the MTA map. [Could this be] a new fault?" (AEK/VK)