A moderately strong earthquake has struck eastern Turkey causing widespread panic, officials said.
More than 40 people were being kept under observation in hospital but there were no reports of serious injury or significant destruction.
The earthquake, with a magnitude 5.9, struck the town of Kale in the province of Malatya at 10.46am, according to the government-run Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency, known as the AFAD.
The earthquake was felt in nearby provinces including Diyarbakir, Elazig, Sanliurfa and Tunceli, as well as in some parts of northern Syria.
People rushed out of homes and offices in fear throughout the region.
More than an hour after the quake struck, many were still waiting in the streets and parks, reluctant to return indoors.
Schools were ordered to close in Malatya and Elazig.
Interior minister Ali Yerlikaya said close to 190 people were “affected” by the tremor and 43 people were being kept in hospital under observation.
In Elazig, about a dozen people sustained minor injuries after jumping out of windows in panic, mayor Sahin Serifogullari said.
Around 20 such incidents were reported in Malatya, HaberTurk television reported.
The AFAD said a total of four buildings in Malatya, Sanliurfa and Elazig were damaged. In Elazig, four people were rescued unhurt from a building that was partially damaged, it said.
Malatya was one 11 provinces that was devastated by a powerful earthquake that struck parts of Turkey and northern Syria last year. More than 53,000 people were killed in Turkey.
Many buildings at risk of collapse had already been either torn down or evacuated after the 2023 earthquake, Malatya governor Seddar Yavuz said.
Turkey is crossed by two major fault lines and earthquakes are frequent. More than 17,000 people were also killed in a powerful earthquake in north-western Turkey in 1999.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here