Magnitude 6.1 earthquake hits western Turkey, causing buildings to collapse | World News
At least three unoccupied buildings and a two-story shop collapsed in Sindirgi, Interior Miner Ali Yerlikaya said. (Representational/ File Photo)
A strong earthquake shook western Turkey on Monday, causing at least three buildings that were damaged in a previous tremor to collapse, officials said. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
The magnitude 6.1 quake was centered in the town of Sindirgi in Balikesir province, according to the Disaster and Emergency Management agency, AFAD. It struck at 22:48 local time (1948 GMT) at a depth of 5.99 kilometers (3.72 miles.)
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The quake, which was followed several aftershocks, was felt in anbul, and the near provinces of Bursa, Manisa and Izmir.
At least three unoccupied buildings and a two-story shop collapsed in Sindirgi, Interior Miner Ali Yerlikaya said. The structures had already been damaged in a previous earthquake.
A total of 22 people were injured due to panic-related falls, which can occur because of the physical and psychological impact of earthquakes, according to Balikesir’s governor, Ismail Ustaoglu.
“So far, we have not identified any loss of life, but we are continuing our assessment,” Sindirgi’s drict adminrator Dogukan Koyuncu told the state-run Anadolu Agency.
Many people remained outdoors too afraid to return to their homes, Haberturk television reported. As rain began to fall, Ustaoglu said mosques, schools and sports halls were being kept open to shelter people reluctant to go back.
Sindirgi also was struck in August a magnitude 6.1 earthquake, which killed one person and injured dozens of other people. Since then, the region around Balikesir had been hit smaller shocks.
Turkey sits on top of major fault lines, and earthquakes are frequent.
In 2023, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake killed more than 53,000 people in Turkey and destroyed or damaged hundreds of thousands of buildings in 11 southern and southeastern provinces. Another 6,000 people were killed in the northern parts of neighboring Syria.
