A 5.9-magnitude earthquake shook Malatya’s Kale district at 10.46 am local time (GMT+3), according to the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), with tremors also felt in nearby provinces.
The quake occurred at a depth of 10.07 kilometers, the agency reported. Boğaziçi University's Kandilli Obervatory measured the quake's magnitude at 6.0.
Update: No casualties
11:16 Currently, there are no reports of casualties in the province. AFAD stated that no loss of life or property had been identified as of 11.16 am, adding that its teams are on alert and field surveys are ongoing.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya also said that AFAD and relevant agencies are conducting field surveys and responding to reports from citizens.
Meanwhile, schools have been closed for the day as a precautionary measure following the tremors, the Malatya Governor's Office announced.
Video showing the moments of the earthquake:
Elazığ'da yaşanan 5.9 büyüklüğündeki #deprem anı: pic.twitter.com/V1AsKuzElm
— Ekol TV (@ekoltvv) October 16, 2024
The tremors were also felt strongly in the surrounding provinces of Urfa, Elazığ, Adıyaman and Dersim, videos circulating on social media showed. Governor Dersim (Tunceli) said there were no negative situations in the provinces following the quake.
Video showing the moments of the quake in surrounding provinces:
📍Şanlıurfa
— Anadolu Ajansı (@anadoluajansi) October 16, 2024
📍Elazığ
📍Adıyaman
📍Tunceli
Malatya'nın Kale ilçesinde, saat 10.46'da 5,9 büyüklüğünde deprem meydana geldi https://t.co/gO7vVpMnXC pic.twitter.com/oIgwYrBiXR
Update: Authorities report damage
11:43 Emergency response teams detected partial collapse in three buildings, including one in Malatya and one each in the adjacent provinces of Elazığ and Urfa, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced on social media.
No losses of lives have been detected the minister reiterated.
The authorities have so far received 374 reports regarding the quakes, with 341 to report information and 33 to seek help, he added.
12:11 AFAD reported 30 aftershocks ranging from magnitude 1.2 to 1.3.
Malatya’da meydana gelen 5.9 büyüklüğündeki deprem sonrası Malatya, Diyarbakır, Şanlıurfa, Elazığ, Batman ve Tunceli illerimizde AFAD ve ilgili kurumlarımız saha tarama çalışmalarını sürdürmektedir.
— Ali Yerlikaya (@AliYerlikaya) October 16, 2024
112 Acil Çağrı Merkezi'mize 374 ihbar gelmiştir. Bu ihbarların 341’i bilgi ;…
The 2023 quakes
Malatya was one of the 11 provinces heavily impacted by the double earthquake that struck Turkey in February 2023, centered in Maraş.
The devastating quakes, deadliest in Turkey's history, claimed 52,000 people lost their lives in the country, in addition to over 5,000 deaths in Syria's northern parts. In Malatya, 1,237 people died and 6,444 were injured according to official data.
Earthquake-hit provinces show the highest crude death rates
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