A magnitude 5.0 earthquake shook Türkiye's southwestern Muğla province late Wednesday, according to a statement by the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD.)

The quake took place at 11 p.m. local time (8 p.m. GMT) at a depth of 54 kilometers (33.5 miles) off the coast of Datça near the Aegean Sea, the statement said.

Türkiye is among the world's most seismically active zones as it is situated on several active fault lines, with the most potentially devastating being the Northern Anatolia Fault (NAF), the meeting point of the Anatolian and Eurasian tectonic plates. Disaster preparedness as well as the government's efforts for "urban transformation" or renewal of old, decrepit buildings, remain two vital options for protection against disasters.

Over 50,000 people lost their lives after two major earthquakes hit Türkiye's southeast on Feb. 6.

Around 14 million people in Türkiye have been affected by the quakes, as well as many others in northern Syria.