UPDATE - Magnitude 5.9 earthquake hits eastern Türkiye

UPDATES DECK, ADDS DETAILS

By Necva Tastan Sevinc

ISTANBUL (AA) - A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck eastern Türkiye on Wednesday, according to the Turkish disaster management agency AFAD.

The epicenter of the earthquake, which occurred at 10.46 a.m. local time (0746GMT), was Malatya's Kale district at a depth of 10.07 kilometers (6.26 miles), AFAD said.

Tremors were also felt in Sanliurfa, Adiyaman, Kilis, Gaziantep, and Kahramanmaras provinces.

Some damaged buildings were cordoned off, and security measures were taken.

Malatya Governor Seddar Yavuz said no negative reports had been received by authorities so far.

He said all severely damaged buildings, except those involved in legal disputes, had been demolished earlier.

The structures awaiting court orders for demolition had also been evacuated, Yavuz added.

He urged people to stay away from evacuated and damaged buildings, and ordered schools to be closed for the day as a precaution.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said there was partial collapse in three buildings, one each in Malatya, Sanliurfa, and Elazig, with no reports of casualties or property damage.

"Our field inspections are ongoing," said Sami Er, the mayor of Malatya.

Türkiye’s eastern region is still reeling from the devastating earthquakes of Feb. 6, 2023, when powerful 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude quakes struck 11 provinces, including Malatya as well as Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Elazig, Hatay, Gaziantep, Kahramanmaras, Kilis, Osmaniye, and Sanliurfa.

The twin earthquakes killed more than 53,500 people, injured over 107,000, and affected over 14 million people in Türkiye as well as in northern Syria.