Magnitude 6.1 Earthquake Strikes Western Turkey: Buildings Damaged in Sindirgi Region

Turkey, a country positioned atop significant fault lines, experienced a powerful earthquake on Monday, according to the country's emergency response organization. Local media outlets reported damage to buildings, though no casualties were immediately confirmed.

The Disaster and Emergency Management agency (AFAD) identified the earthquake as a magnitude 6.1 event, with its epicenter located in Sindirgi, a town in Balikesir province. The seismic activity occurred at 22:48 local time (1948 GMT) and originated at a depth of 5.99 kilometers (3.72 miles).

Haberturk news channel reported that tremors were felt across several regions, including Istanbul and the neighboring provinces of Bursa, Manisa, and Izmir. According to private television network NTV and other news sources, structures in Sindirgi sustained damage.

This marks the second significant seismic event for Sindirgi in recent months, following a previous magnitude 6.1 earthquake in August that resulted in one fatality and dozens of injuries. Since that incident, the Balikesir region has experienced multiple smaller aftershocks.

Earthquakes occur frequently in Turkey due to its geological position above major fault lines.

In 2023, a devastating magnitude 7.8 earthquake claimed more than 53,000 lives across Turkey and caused extensive destruction to hundreds of thousands of buildings throughout 11 provinces in the southern and southeastern regions. The catastrophe also resulted in approximately 6,000 deaths in northern Syria.