Quake hits Turkey’s Malatya, reviving fear in 2023 disaster zone
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake has struck Turkey’s southeast, an area devastated by the February 2023 twin quakes.
ANKARA — A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Turkey’s southeastern Malatya province on Wednesday, lightly injuring dozens and triggering panic across a region still reeling from the devastating 2023 quakes.
The quake hit at 9 a.m. local time in Malatya’s Battalgazi district at a depth of 7 kilometers (roughly 4.3 miles), according to Turkey’s disaster management agency, AFAD.
Malatya Governor Seddar Yavuz said 74 people had sought medical care after the quake. Of them, 15 were treated for panic-related complaints and 15 others had light injuries, according to Yavuz. Forty-six people completed treatment and were discharged, while 18 remained in hospitals for observation. Videos circulating online showed schools being evacuated in Malatya and surrounding provinces.
Okuldaki deprem paniği kamerada
— Gaziantep Referans Gazetesi (@Referans_Medya) May 20, 2026
Malatya'da meydana gelen 5.6 büyüklüğündeki deprem kentte paniğe neden olurken, okul ve iş yerlerinde yaşanan korku dolu anlar güvenlik kameralarına yansıdı.#Gaziantep #Deprem #Malatya #SONDAKIKA #Haber pic.twitter.com/4UsaJZuxWu
Yavuz said that field inspections for possible damage were continuing. Local authorities in Malatya said schools would remain closed for the day.
The earthquake was also felt in neighboring provinces including Adiyaman, Elazig, Tunceli and Sanliurfa, prompting residents to rush outdoors and schools to evacuate.
Malatya’da #deprem anı kameralara yansıdı.#Malatya #kahramanmaraş #sallandık pic.twitter.com/OabegoRLSc
— Ceyda Güven (@guvennceyda) May 20, 2026
The tremor struck an area heavily damaged by the Feb. 6, 2023, earthquakes, both above magnitude 7, that killed more than 55,000 people in Turkey and caused widespread destruction across 11 southern and southeastern provinces. Thousands more people were killed in neighboring Syria.
