6.1 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Turkey’s Balikesir Province, Resulting in 1 Death and Building Collapses

A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1 struck the northwestern province of Balikesir in Turkey on Sunday, leading to at least one fatality and the collapse of over a dozen buildings, according to officials. Additionally, 29 individuals sustained injuries.

The town of Sindirgi, identified as the epicenter, caused tremors that extended about 200 kilometers (125 miles) north to Istanbul, a bustling metropolis with a population exceeding 16 million.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya reported that an elderly woman who was rescued from the wreckage in Sindirgi passed away shortly thereafter. Moreover, four other survivors were extracted from the same building.

Yerlikaya said a total of 16 buildings collapsed in the region – most of them derelict and unused. Two mosque minarets also tumbled down, he said.

None of the injured were in serious condition, the minister said.

Television footage showed rescue teams asking for silence so they can listen for signs of life beneath the rubble.

The Disaster and Emergency Management Agency of Turkey indicated that the main quake was succeeded by numerous aftershocks, one of which registered 4.6 in magnitude, and cautioned residents against entering structurally compromised buildings.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a statement wishing all affected citizens a speedy recovery.

“May God protect our country from any kind of disaster,” he wrote on X.

Turkey sits on top of major fault lines and earthquakes are frequent.

In 2023, a devastating earthquake of 7.8 magnitude resulted in over 53,000 fatalities in Turkey, with extensive destruction across hundreds of thousands of structures in 11 southern and southeastern provinces. Simultaneously, approximately 6,000 lives were lost in the northern regions of neighboring Syria.