6.1 magnitude earthquake hits Türkiye

A powerful 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck Türkiye’s northwestern Balikesir province on Sunday evening, August 10, causing around a dozen buildings to collapse and prompting emergency rescue operations.

Istanbul, located about 200 km away, was also affected by the tremors. Officials have confirmed that at least 29 people have been injured and one person has died.

Earthquake in Balikesir, Türkiye

Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD) confirmed the earthquake struck at 7:53 pm local time in the Sındırgı district of Balikesir, at a depth of 10 km. The quake was also felt in nearby provinces, including Manisa, İzmir, Uşak, and Bursa.

Sındırgı mayor, Serkan Sak, told HaberTurk that four people were rescued from a collapsed building while attempts continued to reach two others trapped inside. Sak also said that a number of houses had collapsed nearby in Golcuk. He added that a minaret from a mosque also fell.

Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu said on X that four people were receiving hospital treatment, but none were in a life-threatening condition.

According to AP NewsTotal, around a dozen building collapsed. There were several aftershocks, including one that measured 4.6.

AFAD has activated the Türkiye Disaster Response Plan (TAMP), deploying personnel and equipment from multiple provinces. The agency has urged the public to use SMS and internet messaging in order to communicate, but to not “enter damaged structures”.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan posted on X, wishing “all affected citizens a speedy recovery” and adding, “May God protect our country from any kind of disaster.”

Türkiye sits on top of major fault lines and regularly experiences significant seismic activity. In February 2023 a magnitude 7.8 earthquake killed more than 53,000 people in Türkiye and 6,000 in neighbouring Syria.

See all the latest breaking news.

All European News.