Nixa. The strong earthquake in central Türkiye early Friday morning has once again frightened people. According to Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Agency, the intensity of the earthquake was measured at 5.5 on the Richter scale. The earthquake struck when people were in deep sleep, causing chaos in Nixar and surrounding areas. Due to panic, a large number of people started leaving their homes and running towards safe places.
According to administrative data, the earthquake was felt at exactly 3:35 in the morning. Its center was Nixar town of Tokat province. The most worrying thing about the earthquake was its depth, which was recorded at only 6.4 kilometers below the ground. Experts say that the tremors were felt so powerful and widespread due to the low depth of the centre. The tremor was so strong that apart from Tokat, it was clearly felt in many other nearby provinces also. It is a matter of relief that in the initial reports of preliminary investigation and disaster management teams, no loss of life or property or collapse of major buildings has been reported so far. The official statement clarified that no adverse incident has been reported at present, but emergency teams are on full alert and are surveying the situation in rural areas. Even though the administration is giving assurance of security, there is an atmosphere of immense fear among the local population. Despite the harsh cold and temperatures falling below zero, residents of Nixar and Tokat are unable to muster the courage to return to their homes. A large number of people were seen lighting bonfires on the streets or sitting inside their cars waiting for morning. They fear that aftershocks (smaller tremors after the earthquake) that come after the main shock could damage their buildings.
Friday’s earthquake has refreshed the memories of the terrible tragedy of February 2023 in the minds of the people of Turkey, when a devastating earthquake of 7.8 magnitude wreaked havoc in the southern and south-eastern parts of the country. More than 53,000 people lost their lives at that time. Due to Türkiye’s geographical location above major fault lines, earthquakes occur frequently, making security and disaster management always a major challenge. At present, the local administration is busy arranging assistance and warm clothes for the people present on the streets.