One dead, nearly 30 injured in magnitude 6.1 earthquake in Turkiye’s Balikesir

BALIKESIR (Turkiye): An earthquake of magnitude 6.1 struck northwestern Turkiye’s Balikesir province on Sunday evening, killing at least one person and causing more than a dozen buildings to collapse, according to Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, as reported by Al Jazeera.

The quake occurred at about 7.53 pm (16:53 GMT) with its epicentre in the town of Sindirgi, striking at a depth of 11 km (6.8 miles), the disaster management authority AFAD said. The German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) registered the magnitude at 6.19 and depth of 10 km (6.2 miles), Al Jazeera added.

More video showing the shaking from the M6.1 earthquake that hit Western Turkey…

Kalemoğlu Villagepic.twitter.com/WX2Y5m8hHA

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Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said four people were pulled from the rubble of a collapsed house, with three receiving hospital treatment. “The lone victim was an 81-year-old person who died after being rescued from the rubble,” he confirmed to Al Jazeera.

Nearly 30 people were wounded in the earthquake, which was felt across multiple provinces including Istanbul, Turkiye’s largest city. The disaster authority reported six aftershocks within the first hour, including one measuring 4.6 magnitude, and warned citizens against entering damaged buildings.

Yerlikaya confirmed that search and rescue operations had concluded and there were no other signs of serious damage or casualties. He also stated that electricity and water services remained uninterrupted.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan extended his wishes to the affected citizens, stating, “May God protect our country from any kind of disaster”, according to Al Jazeera.

Turkiye is situated on several fault lines and is highly prone to earthquakes, with Istanbul, a city of 16 million, particularly vulnerable. In April this year, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake shook the city, though no casualties were reported. In February 2023, twin earthquakes measuring 7.8 magnitude killed over 53,000 people in Turkiye and around 6,000 in neighbouring Syria, Al Jazeera reported. (ANI)