Residents in several southeastern provinces of Turkey were shaken early Saturday after a 5.0-magnitude earthquake struck Malatya province, although authorities reported no casualties or structural damage.
Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority, (AFAD), said the tremor occurred at 6:20 a.m. local time in the Battalgazi district of Malatya.
The agency said the earthquake was felt in Malatya, Elazig, Adiyaman, Tunceli and Sanliurfa provinces, with emergency teams deployed to assess the situation.
AFAD said no negative developments had been recorded but confirmed that field assessments were ongoing.
Turkey is located along several major geological fault lines and has a history of devastating earthquakes, including the February 2023 disaster that killed more than 50,000 people in Turkey and caused widespread destruction in parts of the country and neighbouring Syria.
Following that disaster, authorities intensified efforts to improve building safety standards, emergency response systems and earthquake preparedness.
Officials said the latest tremor would continue to be monitored as residents were urged to remain cautious and follow safety instructions.
