Islam Times - Turkey Hit by Fresh Deadly Quake

Islam Times - A new and deadly earthquake struck Turkey around midday on Monday, according to the country’s national disaster assistance organization.

Preliminary reports indicated that one person has been killed and 69 others injured in the eastern province of Malatya.

The Turkish disaster and emergency management agency AFAD said the tremor measured 5.6 in magnitude, with the epicenter located in the Yesilyurt district. The quake was estimated to have originated at a depth of approximately seven kilometers and could be felt in neighboring provinces, according to the rescue agency.

Initial reports indicate that over 20 buildings have been flattened in this latest disaster to hit Turkey. Footage circulating online purports to show the collapse of some of the structures.

Some 20 people, including those rescued from the rubble, were taken to hospital in the aftermath, Minister of National Education Mahmut Ozer told the news agency Anadolu. The search and rescue operation continues, AFAD said.

Malatya was among the Turkish provinces that was seriously affected by the twin quakes on February 6, which claimed over 50,000 lives in Turkey and Syria and caused massive damage in both nations. Many buildings were weakened by the initial disaster, increasing the risk of their collapse in subsequent tremors.

Hundreds of aftershocks followed the initial strike in the ensuing weeks, some lethal in their own right. Last Monday in the evening, several people were killed and hundreds got injured after the already devastated Hatay province was hit.

Turkey is located in an area where several fault lines pass, making the country vulnerable to seismic events. After this month’s disaster, scientists warned that the risk of a quake similar in strength hitting near the city of Istanbul is increasing with time. The country’s most populous city underwent a period of rapid urbanization in the past decades, but the safety of newly constructed buildings remains in doubt.