Powerful 5.2 magnitude earthquake hits eastern Turkey

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey’s disaster service says a powerful earthquake has hit a town in the country’s east. The 5.2 magnitude quake struck the town of Puturge in Malatya province at 5:02 p.m. on Saturday. Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate said the tremor was recorded at a depth of 6.7 kilometers (4.2 miles).  It said there were no immediate reports of casualties or serious damage. Turkey sits on top of major fault lines and earthquakes are frequent. A 6.7 magnitude earthquake hit neighboring Elazig province in January 2020, killing 41 people and injuring more than 1,600. In 1999, at least 17,000 people died in a powerful earthquake in northwest Turkey.