Oct 16, 2024 – A 5.9 magnitude earthquake rocked eastern Turkey’s Malatya province on Wednesday, the country’s disaster management authority, AFAD, confirmed. The earthquake struck at 10:46 a.m. local time (0746 GMT), with its epicenter located in Kale, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) east of the city of Malatya. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties, though AFAD said teams were on alert and conducting field assessments.
The earthquake was also felt in parts of northern Syria, including the provinces of Hasakah, Deir al-Zor, and Aleppo, according to Syria’s state news agency. The European Mediterranean Seismological Centre reported that the quake had a slightly stronger magnitude of 6.1 and occurred at a depth of 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) beneath the surface.
Nearly 20 months ago, the region was hit by a catastrophic earthquake that claimed over 50,000 lives across southeastern Turkey and northern Syria. The 2023 disaster left entire cities in ruins, with rescue operations delayed by the scale of the destruction and harsh weather. While this recent tremor did not cause immediate major damage, it serves as a stark reminder of the region’s vulnerability to seismic events.
Authorities in both Turkey and Syria continue to monitor the situation closely.
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