Magnitude 5.0 earthquake shakes Malatya

 Demolition works continue in Maraş more than six months after the Maraş quakes. (Photo: AA)

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

The Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) has announced that an earthquake with a magnitude of 5 struck the Yeşilyurt district of Malatya at 08.35 a.m. local time (GMT+3).

Boğaziçi University's Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute reported the magnitude of the earthquake as 4.8.

Malatya was one of the 11 cities affected by the dual earthquakes centered in Maraş in February, which claimed the lives of tens of thousands.

Malatya Governor Ersin Yazıcı said, "There is no negativity. There is no collapse or demolition situation related to severely damaged buildings. I especially want citizens to stay away from buildings with severe and moderate damage."

"Inactive fault"

Prof. Dr. Hasan Sözbilir, Director of the Dokuz Eylül University Earthquake Research and Implementation Center, commented that the earthquake may have been caused by an active fault that is not classified as active.

"When we look at Turkey's active fault map, we do not see a live fault drawn to the south of Yeşilyurt where earthquakes have concentrated, but the earthquakes that have occurred indicate the existence of a fault extending between Doğanşehir and Yeşilyurt."

Sözbilir pointed out the need to update Turkey's Active Fault Map, stating, "Most likely, a fault that exists to the south of Yeşilyurt, but has not generated earthquakes for 2.5 million years, may have become active again due to excessive stress accumulation. In this context, it would be beneficial to conduct detailed studies on faults that have not produced earthquakes for the past 5 million years. We can understand this through scientific studies conducted in the field." (AS/VK)