Turkey’s Health Minister Memisoglu says situation being closely monitored in coordination with all relevant institutions
Several buildings have collapsed after a massive 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck Turkey Monday night.
A strong earthquake shook western Turkey on Monday, Turkey’s emergency response agency said. 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’s the second earthquake to hit the area in fewer than three months as a 6.1 magnitude earthquake shook Western Turkey in August claiming one life.
Dramatic new CCTV footage of this week’s quake shows residents running to safety while dining out. Elsewhere, clips showed lights swaying and furniture creaking as the rumbling went on.
The earthquake, which was followed by several aftershocks, was felt in Istanbul, and the nearby provinces of Bursa, Manisa and Izmir.
At least three unoccupied buildings and a two-story shop collapsed in Sindirgi, Interior Minister 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 district administrator Dogukan Koyuncu told the state-run Anadolu Agency.
Turkey sits on top of major fault lines, and earthquakes are frequent. But the Marmara region, where the earthquake was felt, represents one of Turkey’s most seismically active zones.
The USGS has warned that casualties and damage could occur following the seismic event.
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.
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