Magnitude 6.1 Earthquake Strikes Turkey... Tremors Felt in Istanbul

20 Aftershocks Reported in Western Balikesir Region

On August 10 at approximately 7:53 p.m. local time, a magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck near Balikesir, an inland city in western Turkey, according to the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) of Turkey.

People are searching for survivors in the collapsed buildings caused by the earthquake that occurred on the 10th (local time) in Balikesir, Turkey. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

The epicenter was located at latitude 39.25 degrees north and longitude 28.07 degrees east, with a focal depth of 11 kilometers. The earthquake occurred about 200 kilometers from Istanbul, Turkey's largest city. AFAD reported that tremors were felt in surrounding areas, including Izmir, Manisa, and Istanbul.

The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) initially reported the magnitude as 6.0 but later revised it to 6.1. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) also measured the earthquake at 6.1.

According to the Turkish Ministry of Interior, as of 10 p.m. that day, a total of 20 aftershocks had occurred, with five of them measuring between magnitude 4.0 and 5.0. So far, 24 damage reports have been received. In the village of Sundrug, one building collapsed, and of the four people trapped, three were rescued while one remains missing and is still being searched for. The Turkish Ministry of Health stated that four people are receiving treatment in the hospital for injuries, but their lives are not in danger.

On April 23, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck the Sea of Marmara, southeast of Istanbul, lasting for 13 seconds. At that time, 236 citizens jumped from buildings out of fear or suffered panic attacks.

Turkey, located on the Anatolian Plate, is surrounded by four major tectonic plates: the Eurasian Plate, the Arabian Plate, the Aegean Plate, and the African Plate. Earthquakes frequently occur along major fault lines such as the North Anatolian Fault and the East Anatolian Fault. In February 2023, two powerful earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.8 and 7.5 struck the southeastern region near the Syrian border, resulting in a disaster that claimed the lives of approximately 50,000 people.