Istanbul shaken as 6.1-magnitude earthquake hits Turkey

The magnitude 6.1 quake was centered in the town of Sindirgi in Balikesir province

A powerful earthquake struck western Turkey on Monday, causing at least three buildings, already damaged by a previous tremor, to collapse, officials reported.

The 6.1 magnitude quake was centred in Sindirgi, Balikesir province, according to the Disaster and Emergency Management (AFAD) agency. No immediate casualties were confirmed.

It struck at 22.48pm local time (19.48pm GMT) at a depth of 5.99km (3.72 miles).

The quake, 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.

A map of Sindirgi:

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.

Many people remained outdoors, too afraid to return to their homes, Haberturk television reported.

As rain began to fall, Mr Ustaoglu said mosques, schools and sports halls were being kept open to shelter people reluctant to go back.

A building in Sindirgi, northwest Turkey, after the earthquake in August (AP)

Sindirgi was also struck in August by a magnitude 6.1 earthquake, which killed one person and injured dozens of other people.

Since then, the region around Balikesir had been hit by smaller shocks.

Turkey sits on top of major fault lines, and earthquakes are frequent.

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.