UPDATE -1 killed after magnitude 5.6 quake hits Türkiye's eastern Malatya province

UPDATE WITH CASUALTIES, MORE DETAILS

By Anadolu Staff

ANKARA / MALATYA, Türkiye (AA) – At least one person was killed after a magnitude 5.6 earthquake jolted Türkiye’s eastern Malatya province on Monday, weeks after two massive tremors shook the region, according to the country's disaster management agency.

Some 69 others were also injured, Yunus Sezer, head of the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) told reporters.

The earthquake occurred at 12.04 p.m. local time (0904GMT) and was centered 6.96 kilometers (4.32 miles) below the surface in the district of Yesilyurt.

The earthquake was also felt in neighboring Kahramanmaras, Gaziantep, Adiyaman, and Sanliurfa provinces.

“It was determined that some buildings were destroyed in the quake. Search and rescue teams have been dispatched to the disaster area,” AFAD said on Twitter.

The disaster management agency warned citizens against entering damaged structures and asked them to stay away from risky buildings in the region.

Locals rushed to open areas after the quake.

The tremor came as Türkiye continues to deal with the aftermath of the devastating Feb. 6 twin earthquakes in the country's southern region.

At least 44,374 people have died due to those back-to-back earthquakes of magnitude 7.7 and 7.6.

Their epicenter was in Kahramanmaras province, Malatya's southwestern neighbor, and struck nine other Turkish provinces – Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Elazig, Hatay, Gaziantep, Kilis, Osmaniye, and Sanliurfa. More than 13 million people have been affected by the devastating quakes.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz.