Ankara (Türkiye), May 20 (H.S.): An earthquake of magnitude 5.6 struck Türkiye’s eastern Malatya province on Wednesday, triggering panic among residents, many of whom jumped from windows and rooftops in fear. No deaths or major structural damage have been reported so far, although several people sustained injuries in panic-related incidents.

According to officials from the country’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD (Disaster and Emergency Management Authority)), the epicentre of the earthquake was in the Battalgazi district. The tremor originated at a shallow depth of approximately seven kilometres. Shaking was also felt across neighbouring provinces including Adıyaman, Elazığ, Tunceli, and Şanlıurfa.

Emergency response teams have been deployed to the affected areas. Video footage from Malatya and surrounding regions showed residents rushing out of buildings and gathering in open spaces and parks following the quake.

Malatya Governor Seddar Yavuz told state broadcaster A Haber that emergency services received 22 distress calls following the earthquake, and six people were admitted to hospitals. Two of them were injured after jumping from upper floors of their homes in panic, while four others suffered psychological trauma. None of the cases are reported to be critical.

Authorities also confirmed partial structural damage, including the collapse of a livestock shelter in Yazıhan district and damage to an abandoned building in the Doğanşehir district. Schools across the province have been closed for one day as a precaution.

Governor Yavuz noted that reconstruction efforts following the devastating 2023 earthquake have significantly improved the region’s resilience. “We have built 124,000 earthquake-resistant residential units. This is one of the reasons why there has been no major damage today,” he said.

Malatya was among the provinces severely affected by the catastrophic earthquake of February 6, 2023, which claimed thousands of lives.

In a separate report, the World EQ Locator stated that a 5.4 magnitude earthquake struck approximately 19 kilometres north of Sincik in Türkiye. The United States Geological Survey (United States Geological Survey) also confirmed the tremor, which was recorded at around 11:30 a.m. IST on Wednesday. Schools in the affected region were evacuated as a precaution following the quake.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar