4.4 magnitude earthquake hits Turkey

The earthquake occurred at 04:14:09 (UTC 05:30) and hit Sivrice, Turkey at a depth of 11.2 km and the epicenter was 38.396°N 39.194°E, the USGS informed. No casualties have been reported yet. 

Another earthquake of magnitude 4.0 on the Richter scale jolted 23 km Southwest of Afsin, Turkey on April 17. It occurred at 04:25:57 (UTC 05:30) and hit Afsin, Turkey at a depth of 10 km. The earthquake’s epicenter was 38.078°N and 36.762°E. 

This came around two months after a much more severe earthquake devastated the same region. The earthquake was preceded by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake on February 6th, 2023, that hit 11 Turkish provinces, including Malatya.

The February 6th earthquake caused over 48,000 deaths in both Turkey and Syria, as well as the collapse or serious damage of 173,000 buildings in Turkey. The region has since experienced close to 10,000 aftershocks, making it dangerous for people to enter damaged buildings.

The earthquake — in one of the world’s most active seismic zones — hit populated areas as many slept, in homes that had not been built to resist such powerful tremors.

The disaster has put pressure on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the slow response to the quake and why his government allowed such poor-quality buildings to be erected.

Turkish officials had promised after a quake in 1999 killed more than 17,000 people in northwestern Turkey that building regulations would be strengthened.

More than 84,000 buildings either collapsed, need urgent demolition, or were severely damaged in the 6 February earthquake, according to media reports.

One of the areas that suffered the maximum loss in Turkey’s quake is Antakya, an ancient crossroads of civilizations.

The city has suffered several earthquakes — almost one every 100 years — and is no stranger to rebuilding.