Southern cities jolted by moderate tremors

ADANA

People who were frightened by the earthquakes rushed outside. (AA Photo)

Türkiye’s southern provinces of Adana and Osmaniye were jolted by a series of moderate earthquakes on Oct. 4, with authorities reporting no immediate adverse developments.

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck Adana’s Saimbeyli district at 2:19 p.m., according to the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD).

The tremor occurred at a depth of 7.9 kilometers (4.9 miles), followed 17 minutes later by another earthquake measuring 4.9.

A magnitude 5.2 earthquake subsequently struck Osmaniye province at 2:43 p.m., with its epicenter in the Sumbas district. The quake occurred at a depth of 7 kilometers.

In separate statements, the governors’ offices of Adana and Osmaniye said no adverse incidents had been reported so far, adding that authorities were continuing to assess all reports received from the affected areas.

Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi said in a statement following the earthquakes that all AFAD and relevant agency teams had immediately begun field assessments to check for any damage or other developments.

Speaking to the media following the consecutive earthquakes, geologist Professor Dr. Okan Tüysüz said the region had remained under stress since the Feb. 6, 2023, earthquakes that killed more than 53,000 people in the region.

“These earthquakes are likely to continue. It is possible to say that a significant proportion of these earthquakes have emerged as a result of the effects of the Feb. 6 earthquakes,” Tüysüz said.

He added that the area was not dominated by a single major fault, but rather consisted of numerous smaller faults, with the Savrun Fault being the largest among them.

“My expectation is therefore that an earthquake exceeding magnitude 7 is not likely to occur in this region. A major, destructive earthquake is not expected,” Tüysüz said.