Magnitude 6.1 earthquake strikes Turkey, causing about a dozen buildings to collapse

ISTANBUL (AP) — A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck Turkey’s northwestern province of Balikesir on Sunday, causing about a dozen buildings to collapse, an official said. At least one person was trapped in the debris of a collapsed building.

The earthquake, with an epicenter in the town of Sindirgi, sent shocks that were felt some 200 kilometers (125 miles) to the north in Istanbul, a city of more than 16 million people.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya told the nationwide NTV broadcaster that five people, including an elderly woman, were rescued from a collapsed building in Sindirgi, while rescuers were trying to reach another person trapped in the structure.

Several houses also collapsed in the nearby village of Golcuk, Sindirgi Mayor Serkan Sak said. The minaret of a mosque also tumbled down in the village.

Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu said on X that four people were being treated in the hospital. None of them were in life-threatening condition, he said.

“Our hope is to get through this without any loss of life,” Ahmet Akin, the mayor of the provincial capital, which is also called Balikesir, told HaberTurk news channel.

Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Agency said the earthquake was followed by several aftershocks, including one measuring 4.6, and urged citizens not to enter damaged buildings.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a statement wishing all affected citizens a speedy recovery.

“May God protect our country from any kind of disaster,” he wrote on X.

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.