13.03.2026 15:51
A 5.5 magnitude earthquake occurred in the Niksar district of Tokat during the night. The earthquake was felt not only in Tokat but also in Samsun, Corum, Amasya, Sinop, and surrounding provinces. Tokat Governor Abdullah Köklü conducted an inspection in the Niksar district and at the Aysel Nadide Başar Boarding Regional Middle School, stating that there appears to be no serious issues based on initial observations.
A 5.5 magnitude earthquake occurred in the Niksar district of Tokat at 03:35. According to information on the website of the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), a tremor of 5.5 magnitude was recorded with its epicenter in Niksar. It was determined that the earthquake occurred at a depth of 6.37 kilometers. The earthquake was felt not only in Tokat but also in Samsun, Çorum, Amasya, Sinop, and surrounding provinces. Tokat Governor Abdullah Köklü conducted an inspection in the Niksar district and at the Aysel Nadide Başar Boarding Regional Middle School.
AFAD TEAMS HAVE BEEN DEPLOYED
Köklü stated to reporters that from the first moment of the earthquake, district governors and AFAD teams were activated, and an emergency area scan was conducted. Indicating that there was no serious problem in both the police and gendarmerie areas, Köklü said: "There are plaster cracks in some schools in certain districts, and minor damage in some places. Daylight is breaking. A more detailed area scan will be conducted. It appears that some of our citizens have applied to hospitals due to panic, and some of our students in dormitories have suffered minor injuries due to panic, but other than that, there doesn't seem to be anything that would upset us for now." Emphasizing that there is no serious problem based on the first impressions received from the villages, Köklü stated, "However, people who felt the earthquake went outside. Since the houses in the villages are generally one or two stories, the tremor was felt less compared to the district center. There doesn't seem to be anything to worry about for now."
"CITIZENS PANICKED"
Köklü later conducted an inspection in the Erbaa district. After his inspections, Köklü stated that the earthquake centered in Niksar was also felt here. He mentioned that citizens panicked a bit, saying, "There are plaster cracks and minor peeling in some of our buildings. Of course, we need to see the results of our technical personnel's detailed examination to interpret and understand these." Explaining that the technical teams of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, AFAD, and Special Administration personnel are in the field, Köklü noted: "In addition, our Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change has immediately activated additional technical personnel support. Additional personnel will also be in our province. Therefore, we will accelerate detailed investigations. If additional measures need to be taken as a result of these investigations, we will take them as well. There is nothing to be concerned about."
GOVERNORS MADE STATEMENTS
Samsun Governor Orhan Tavlı stated that they have not received any negative reports due to the earthquake. Amasya Governor Önder Bakan noted that there were no negative reports reflected to them after the earthquake. Çorum Governor Ali Çalgan also stated that relevant units are conducting inspections in the field and that no negative situations have been encountered. Tokat Mayor Mehmet Kemal Yazıcıoğlu expressed his best wishes to those affected by the 5.5 magnitude earthquake centered in Niksar, which was also felt in surrounding provinces, in a written statement.
Yazıcıoğlu stated, "There is no negative situation after the earthquake. Developments are being closely monitored by our teams. May God protect our nation and our homeland from all kinds of disasters." Niksar Mayor Semih Tepebaşı indicated that the earthquake was felt very strongly in the region, saying, "Our gathering areas have been determined. So far, we have not encountered any negative situations. I recommend that our citizens wait in safe areas without panicking. We will continue to provide information in line with the information from the authorities."
Erbaa Mayor Ertuğrul Karagöl emphasized that they have not encountered any negative situations in the district, stating, "Our citizens may have panicked due to the sound of the fire brigade. At that hour, our fire brigade teams were outside due to a fire caused by electricity. We also spoke with the district governor. We learned that there is no negative situation in our villages."
In a statement from the AFAD Samsun Provincial Directorate, it was stated, "There is no negative situation following the 5.5 magnitude earthquake that occurred in the Niksar district of Tokat at 03:35 and was felt in our provinces of Samsun, Amasya, Ordu, and Sivas. Field scanning activities are ongoing. We extend our best wishes to the affected citizens."
THE EARTHQUAKE WAS RECORDED BY SECURITY CAMERAS
Meanwhile, some citizens who felt the earthquake in the districts of Tokat took to the streets. Due to the impact of the earthquake, some buildings experienced peeling of plaster, and suspended ceilings fell. Small cracks and plaster peeling also occurred on the walls of the Aysel Nadide Başar Boarding Regional Middle School. The earthquake was recorded by security cameras.