A 5.9-magnitude earthquake shook several areas of eastern Turkey on Wednesday, though no immediate casualties were reported, according to officials.
The quake struck at 10:46 a.m. local time (0746 GMT) in Kale, located in Malatya province, which had previously suffered severe devastation from a 7.8-magnitude earthquake in 2023. That disaster claimed over 53,500 lives in Turkey and nearly 6,000 in neighboring Syria.
The AFAD disaster management agency announced via X that there had been no fatalities or major damage reported so far. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya later confirmed that three buildings had “partially collapsed” in separate locations, and emergency services had received numerous calls for assistance.
The minister added that 187 people were “affected by the earthquake,” with 43 of them under hospital observation, though many had already been discharged.
Local authorities in Malatya said there were no significant developments to report, but the provincial governor announced the closure of all primary and secondary schools for the day as a precaution.
The quake was felt strongly in several major cities in the region, including Diyarbakir, which is located about 140 kilometers (nearly 90 miles) southeast of the epicenter. Footage broadcast by Turkish media showed residents rushing into the streets in response to the tremor.