A magnitude 4.0 aftershock struck the Elbistan district of Türkiye's southern Kahramanmaraş province on Friday, more than five months after a devastating magnitude 7.8 earthquake shook the region.

The earthquake occurred around 14:23 TSI with its epicenter located at a latitude of 38.176 degrees north and a longitude of 37.256 degrees east. The quake's depth was measured at 5.55 km, as announced by Türkiye's Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency on its official website.

The earlier catastrophic earthquake struck on February 6, impacting southern Turkey and northern Syria. Tragically, the disaster resulted in approximately 50,000 fatalities and over 108,000 injuries across ten of the most affected provinces in Türkiye, with additional casualties reported in the adjacent Elazığ and Batman provinces.

The extent of the devastation was vast, affecting at least 13.5 million people and 4 million buildings in the region. Many were trapped under rubble as buildings collapsed, leading to rescue and relief efforts across the affected areas.

The Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change has been actively conducting damage inspections for 763,000 buildings. According to their reports, at least 41,791 buildings in ten Turkish provinces were severely damaged or destroyed, resulting in around 150,000 people being left homeless.

Authorities are closely monitoring the situation following the recent aftershock in Elbistan and providing necessary assistance to affected communities. The nation remains vigilant and continues to work on recovery and rebuilding efforts as it grapples with the aftermath of the devastating earthquake. (ILKHA)