A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck eastern Turkey on Monday, killing one person and injuring dozens, as well as causing the collapse of some damaged buildings, the government’s disaster agency said.
The earthquake’s epicenter was Yesilyurt district, Malatya province, which was also hit by the February 6 earthquake, which killed more than 44,000 people in Turkey and thousands in Syria.
“One civilian was killed. About 69 were injured’said Yunus Sezer, president of the disaster agency AFAD.
AFAD shared on the social network Twitter that about 29 buildings had already collapsed since February 6.
“Our search and rescue teams were quickly dispatched to the region and began work,” he added.
Mayor Mehmet Cinar said a father and daughter were trapped after entering a damaged building to retrieve their belongings.
Television footage showed the man being carried on a stretcher to an ambulance as rescuers tried to make contact with his daughter in the damaged building.
Turkish authorities have launched an investigation into individuals responsible for buildings destroyed by the deadly earthquake that left millions homeless.
AFAD recorded nearly 10,000 earthquakes after the February 6 earthquake. According to Turkish media, about 173,000 buildings were damaged.
Turkish media vehemently criticized the developers for using poor quality materials and not complying with building regulations.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced plans to rebuild 270,000 homes in the devastated provinces within a year.
Source: DN
