Magnitude 5.5 earthquake in southern Turkey raises fresh fears as 8 injured

Duvar English

An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.5 struck the southern province of Adana’s Kozan district at 8.44 a.m. local time on July 25, Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) announced. An aftershock with a magnitude of 4.4 struck the region after the initial quake.

The quake occurred five months after two deadly earthquakes striking Turkey’s southeast on Feb. 6, one at a magnitude of 7.7 and the other at 7.6. Both quakes at the time were felt in Adana province and caused minor damages.

After the July 25-dated quake, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said eight people were injured due to jumping from height and falling objects.

In Kozan district, the walls of 2 unused old buildings were demolished due to the quake.

Adana Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Zeydan Karalar said that they received information that several barns were damaged in Kozan district.

AFAD head Yunus Sezer also said at 9.17 a.m. local time that there is no negative report due to the earthquake.

“It is in the convergence zone of the Saimbeyli and Savrun Faults, probably in the Savrun zone. After the February 6 earthquakes, there is a change in the stress areas on the fault zones in the region,” renowned earthquake expert Prof. Naci Görür said in a tweet.

AFAD Earthquake Risk Reduction General Manager Professor Orhan Tatar also said they can accept July 25-dated quake as an aftershock of the Feb. 6 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes.

It is being investigated whether there is any damage to the buildings that were severely and moderately damaged in the 6 Feb. earthquakes in Adana.

In the Feb. 6 quakes more than 50,000 people died according to the official figures. Turkey is crossed by fault lines and is prone to earthquakes.