Earthquake damages buildings in eastern Turkey, rattles Syria

ISTANBUL: A magnitude-5.9 earthquake struck eastern Turkey’s Malatya province on Wednesday, causing damage to some buildings but no casualties, the country’s disaster and emergency management authority (AFAD) said.

Three buildings were partially collapsed but there were no casualties, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya told reporters.

The quake was also felt in Syria’s Hasakah, Deir al-Zor and Aleppo provinces, the country’s state news agency said.

AFAD said it occurred at 10:46am (0746 GMT) with its epicentre in the district of Kale, some 40km (25 miles) east of the city of Malatya.

AFAD, police and gendarmerie security teams carried out inspections across the region including in Diyarbakir, Sanliurfa, Elazig, Batman and Tunceli provinces, it added.

Nearly 190 people were treated in hospitals in six provinces due to the quake, of which 43 remain under observation, Yerlikaya said.

The European Mediterranean Seismological Centre said the quake had a 6.1 magnitude and was at a depth of 9km (5.6 miles) below the earth.