Two years after deadly 2023 quake in south, western Turkey hit by 6.1 tremor

A 6.1 magnitude earthquake rocked northwestern Türkiye’s Balıkesir province on the evening of Aug 10 resulting in the death of an 81-year-old person and injuring 29 others, according to officials.

The quake’s epicentre was located at a shallow depth of approximately 10–11 kilometers in the district of Sındırgı.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed that emergency crews had rescued the elderly victim from under debris, but they later succumbed to their injuries.

Four other individuals were rescued from the same collapsed building and are currently hospitalized.

In total, approximately 16 buildings collapsed, including residential structures and mosque minarets, while dozens of others sustained heavy or moderate damage — primarily in Sındırgı and surrounding neighbourhoods. Nearby villages such as Golcuk also reported structural collapse.

The quake was strongly felt across several provinces, including major cities like Istanbul and Izmir, over 200 kilometres from the epicenter. Tremors spread through the region, spurring widespread alarm among residents.

Following the initial quake, multiple aftershocks were recorded — one registering a magnitude of 4.6. Authorities urged citizens to avoid re-entering compromised buildings as search and rescue operations concluded with no other casualties reported.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan offered condolences via social media, writing, "May God protect our country from any kind of disaster." The government deployed emergency personnel and began assessing damages, with vital services like electricity and water restored quickly.

Balıkesir province lies along the western end of the North Anatolian Fault Zone, a major seismic fault across northern Türkiye. This fault has historically produced destructive earthquakes, including those in İzmit (1999) and the catastrophic 7.8 magnitude tremor of 2023, which killed over 53,000 people in southern Türkiye and northern Syria.

Earlier this year, in April, a 6.2 magnitude quake hit Istanbul, though it caused no fatalities. The region remains highly susceptible to earthquakes and aftershocks, underscoring the need for resilient infrastructure and public preparedness.