A powerful earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale struck Turkey’s northwestern Balikesir province on Sunday evening, killing one person and injuring 29 others, according to Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya. The tremor also caused 16 buildings to collapse and was felt across several provinces, including Istanbul, the country’s largest city.
The quake occurred at 7:53 p.m. local time, Turkey’s AFAD disaster management authority confirmed. AFAD reported the epicenter at a depth of 11 kilometers (6.8 miles), while the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) measured the magnitude at 6.19 and a depth of 10 kilometers.
Yerlikaya said the sole fatality was an 81-year-old resident who was pulled alive from the rubble by emergency teams but later succumbed to injuries. “We have concluded search and rescue operations,” the minister said in a late-night briefing, adding that there were no further reports of people trapped or missing.
Emergency response teams were quickly deployed to Balikesir and surrounding provinces, providing medical care to the injured and assessing structural damage. Most of the 29 wounded were treated for non-life-threatening injuries, while some remain under observation in local hospitals. Authorities confirmed that 16 buildings had collapsed, with dozens more sustaining visible cracks and partial damage.
The tremor was strongly felt in neighboring cities and even in Istanbul, about 200 kilometers away, sending residents rushing into the streets. While Istanbul reported no major damage, the quake reignited fears in the metropolis of more devastating tremors, given its vulnerability to seismic activity.
Turkey sits on several active fault lines and is among the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. In February 2023, a pair of massive earthquakes measuring 7.8 and 7.5 devastated the southeast, killing more than 50,000 people and leaving millions displaced. The latest quake, though far less destructive, has revived concerns about building safety and preparedness in the country.
Yerlikaya urged citizens in the affected region to remain cautious, warning that aftershocks could continue in the coming days. AFAD has advised residents not to enter damaged buildings until they are inspected by engineers. Local authorities have also begun setting up temporary shelters for those who lost their homes.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed condolences to the victim’s family and pledged government support for the rebuilding effort. “Our state is taking all necessary steps to heal the wounds caused by this earthquake,” Erdoğan said in a statement.
While the scale of destruction was limited compared to past disasters, Sunday’s quake underscores the constant risk facing Turkey’s population. Seismologists have long warned that the densely populated Marmara region, which includes Istanbul, remains at high risk of a major earthquake in the coming decades.
