20 buildings severely damaged after quake in country’s east, says minister

A 5.9 magnitude earthquake that hit numerous provinces in the country's south and east on Oct. 16 severely damaged a total of 20 buildings in the eastern city of Elazığ, Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum has announced.

The minister noted in a statement on social media that about 517 buildings suffered minor damage in the aftermath of the tremor. He mentioned that, in addition, about 18 buildings had minor damage in the eastern province of Malatya,the epicenter of the quake. 

"Our damage assessment teams are working meticulously after the earthquake that occurred in the Malatya province's Kale district and shook the nearby cities. We have assessed about 1,211 notices so far," the statement read.

The quake, which struck at 10:46 a.m., wreaked damage in some parts of multiple eastern and southern cities, which had already endured significant damage from last year's devastating quakes.

The tremor frightened scores of residents, who fled in terror from their houses, businesses and schools.

While no casualties were recorded, teams rescued four people in a partially damaged building in Elazığ, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced earlier.