Earthquake hits southeastern Turkiye, tremors felt in Syria

A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck eastern Türkiye on Wednesday, according to the country’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD).

The earthquake hit at 10:46 am local time, with the epicentre in Malatya’s Kale district, at a depth of 10.07 km.

No casualties have been reported as of yet, and field inspections are continuing, said Sami Er, the mayor of Malatya.

The tremor was also felt in neighbouring Syria, with residents in Hasaka, Aleppo, and Deir ez-Zor provinces reporting the quake, according to Syrian state media.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the government is "closely monitoring the developments of the quake." The Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) recorded the magnitude as 6.0.

Malatya was among the provinces devastated by a deadly earthquake in February 2023, which killed over 50,000 people.