The aforementioned volcanic eruption occurred on Kuşkayası mountain in the Göksun district of Kahramanmaraş. Published videos showed smoke coming out of the mountain. Locals and millions of people thought it was a volcano as the video spread. AFAD made official statements on this issue.
AFAD: No volcanic eruption
Orhan Tatar, General Manager of AFAD Earthquake Risk and Mitigation, announced that they started working as soon as they saw the issue and sent teams to the region with a Sikorsky helicopter. As a result of the examination, no volcanic activity, volcanic ash, volcanic eruption and gas outflow could be detected. Tatar underlined that the resulting smoke was due to a simple mass movement caused by the effect of the earthquake. Therefore, the claim that “volcano formed by erupting hot, fluid karatas (basalt) at 2000 C”, as claimed, is untrue.
In fact, it is quite natural and seen that rocks roll and soil and rock movements produce this type of smoke in such big earthquakes. However, in the investigations carried out by AFAD teams, it was stated that there is no volcanic rock in this region, and that there is limestone in the examined region.
AFAD warns of aftershocks
Tatar warned the public that aftershocks would continue. “Some of them may be over 5. Our citizens need to stay away from damaged buildings.” In addition, it was stated that damage assessment studies were carried out in the destroyed or damaged buildings in the region with 1300 teams.