Powerful 5.2 magnitude earthquake hits eastern Turkey

ISTANBUL – A powerful earthquake struck eastern Turkey on Saturday, but no casualties or serious damage were immediately reported, the country’s disaster department said.

The 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck the town of Puturge in Malatya province at 5:02 p.m. local time (1402 GMT), Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said. The tremor was recorded at a depth of 6.7 kilometers (4.2 miles).

“We haven’t received any negative reports so far. Our teams are continuing their digitization activities on the ground,” Malatya Governor Aydin Barus told state-run Anadolu news agency.

Environment and Urban Planning Minister Murat Kurum tweeted that the Turkish government was closely monitoring the situation.

Turkey sits on top of major fault lines and earthquakes are common.

A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck the neighboring province of Elazig in January 2020, killing 41 people and injuring more than 1,600. In 1999, at least 17,000 people died in a powerful earthquake in the northwest Turkey.