04.08.2020 20:11
No casualties reported so far, says interior minister.
Twin earthquakes jolted Turkey's eastern province of Malatya on Tuesday, according to the country's disaster agency.
The first quake measured 5.2, followed by a magnitude 4.2 quake, said the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD).
Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said on Twitter that no casualties have been reported so far.
Rescue services are assessing damage to buildings, the provincial governor's office said in a statement.
The governor's office warned citizens against returning to the quake site and their residence until the assessment is completed as there was a possibility of aftershocks.
Selahattin Gurkan, mayor of Malatya, reiterated that there was no loss of lives or property. However, structures that were weakened by a previous earthquake in the region, suffered further damages, he added.
The mayor said tremors were felt across Malatya and in neighboring provinces such as Diyarbakir, Batman, Elazig, Siirt, Kahramanmaras, Adiyaman, Sanliurfa, and Gaziantep.
*Writing by Fahri Aksut in Ankara -