Quake hits Turkey’s Malatya, reviving fear in 2023 disaster zone

ANKARA — A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Turkey’s southeastern Malatya province on Wednesday, lightly injuring dozens and triggering panic across a region still reeling from the devastating 2023 quakes.

The quake hit at 9 a.m. local time in Malatya’s Battalgazi district at a depth of 7 kilometers (roughly 4.3 miles), according to Turkey’s disaster management agency, AFAD.

Malatya Governor Seddar Yavuz said 74 people had sought medical care after the quake. Of them, 15 were treated for panic-related complaints and 15 others had light injuries, according to Yavuz. Forty-six people completed treatment and were discharged, while 18 remained in hospitals for observation. Videos circulating online showed schools being evacuated in Malatya and surrounding provinces.

Yavuz said that field inspections for possible damage were continuing. Local authorities in Malatya said schools would remain closed for the day.

The earthquake was also felt in neighboring provinces including Adiyaman, Elazig, Tunceli and Sanliurfa, prompting residents to rush outdoors and schools to evacuate.

The tremor struck an area heavily damaged by the Feb. 6, 2023, earthquakes, both above magnitude 7, that killed more than 55,000 people in Turkey and caused widespread destruction across 11 southern and southeastern provinces. Thousands more people were killed in neighboring Syria.