Ankara [Turkey], August 11: A 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck the city of Sindirgi in the western Turkish province of Balıkesir on the evening of August 10, according to the Turkish Disaster Management Authority (AFAD).
The earthquake occurred at 7:53 p.m. local time, with about 20 aftershocks ranging in magnitude from 3.5 to 4.6 on the Richter scale, according to AFP citing a statement from AFAD.
AFAD said the earthquake occurred at a depth of 11 km, while the German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) recorded the magnitude of the earthquake at 6.19 on the Richter scale and at a depth of 10 km, according to Reuters.
The earthquake was so strong that it was felt in several cities in western Turkey , including Istanbul and the popular tourist destination of Izmir, according to AFP.
The quake killed at least one person and injured dozens, officials said. "An 81-year-old man died immediately after being rescued from the rubble ," Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya told reporters in Sindirgi. He added that 29 people were injured but not seriously.
The earthquake collapsed 16 buildings in Sindirgi and the surrounding area, including a three-story building in the city center, according to AFP. AFAD said some 319 rescue workers had been deployed to the affected area.
Several people were rescued from the rubble of the three-storey building, which housed six people. The dead were buried under the rubble before being pulled out.
Earlier, Sindirgi Mayor Serkan Sak told Türkiye's NTV television channel that four people had been pulled from the rubble and rescue efforts were underway for two others.
Türkiye sits on several geological fault lines that have caused disasters in the past. A magnitude 7.8 earthquake in southwestern Türkiye in February 2023 killed at least 53,000 people and devastated Antakya, home to the ancient city of Antioch.
Last month, a 5.8-magnitude earthquake also struck the area, killing one person and injuring 69, according to AFP.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
