6.1-magnitude earthquake hits northwestern Turkey, killing one and injuring 29

The country’s disaster management authority AFAD said the quake occurred at around 7:53 pm local time in Balikesir province, near Istanbul.

By: Express Web Dek

Updated: August 11, 2025 10:41 AM IST

People remove the wreckage of a collapsed building following an earthquake in Sindirgi, northwest Turkey. (AP Photo)

An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1 struck northwestern Turkey on Sunday, killing one person and injuring 29 others, according to Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, Reuters reported. Sixteen buildings collapsed in the tremor.

The country’s disaster management authority AFAD said the quake occurred at around 7:53 pm local time in Balikesir province, near Istanbul, and was felt in multiple provinces, including the country’s largest city. Yerlikaya said an 81-year-old person died after being rescued from rubble by emergency teams.

Search and rescue operations have now concluded, and there were no other signs of serious damage or casualties.

Earlier, Yerlikaya posted on X that AFAD emergency teams had started inspections in Istanbul and neighbouring provinces, adding that “no negative reports” had been received so far.

AFAD said the earthquake struck at a depth of 11 kilometres (6.8 miles), while the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) measured the magnitude at 6.19 and the depth at 10 kilometres.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan posted on X wishing those affected a speedy recovery and said, “May God protect our country from any kind of disaster.”

Turkey, located on major fault lines, frequently experiences earthquakes. In 2023, a 7.8 magnitude quake killed more than 53,000 people in Turkey and 6,000 in northern Syria.

(With inputs from Reuters)

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