Earthquake of magnitude 5.2 shakes Turkey; no casualties reported

New Delhi (India) May 16: Turkey experienced a strong earthquake on Thursday night, with a 5.2-magnitude. Konya province in Turkey's Central Anatolia region is said to have been affected by the earthquake. The earthquake has not resulted in any reported deaths.

The epicenter was roughly 14 km northeast of Kullu. The capital city of Ankara was among the several places where the earthquakes were noticed due to their strength. Residents fled their houses and buildings in terror as the ground shook.

Turkey's disaster management organisation reports that at least one earthquake of magnitude 5 hits there yearly.

Ali Yerlikaya, the interior minister of Turkey, stated that the earthquake lasted 13 seconds at a depth of seven kilometres and that 51 aftershocks have been detected so far, the greatest of which had a magnitude of 5.9.

Another 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck the Turkish city of Istanbul last month, putting residents into panic.

According to Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Agency, the earthquake happened in the Sea of Marmara near Silivri, which is around 70 kilometres west of the city.

Strong earthquakes had struck Syria and Turkey in February 2023 also. The magnitudes of these earthquakes were 7.8 and 7.5.

This latest quake comes just a day after a 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck near the Fry region of Greece. Concerns among the public have increased due to the near timing of these hazards especially in Turkey, which has a long history of earthquakes.

There were aftershocks felt across Israel, Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan, and Cairo, Egypt. As a precaution, local authorities have issued a tsunami warning due to the magnitude of the tremor, which had an epicentre in the Mediterranean, southeast Greece.

As scientists continue to keep a careful eye on the region's seismic activity, emergency services have warned locals to take precautions and stay safe.

Aadrika Tayal