According to the Turkish Government’s Emergency Management and Prevention Authority (AFAD), citizens in Kale and surrounding areas felt the tremors and quickly evacuated homes and offices, gathering in parks and open spaces. The earthquake was also felt in the provinces of Sanliurfa, Adiyaman, Kilis, Gaziantep, and Kahramanmaras.
Local authorities responded immediately by cordoning off damaged buildings in Kale and increasing security measures. Malatya Governor Seddar Yavuz confirmed that no casualties have been reported.
Yavuz explained that all dangerous structures in Kale had been demolished prior to the earthquake, except for a few buildings under litigation, which had already been evacuated. He also addressed the circulation of misleading images on social media, noting, “We’ve seen footage of a collapsed building, but these are old photos from controlled demolitions. We urge citizens not to spread unreliable information that could incite panic.”
