A 6.1-magnitude quake struck Sindirgi in western Turkey on Sunday, August 10, the Turkish disaster management agency (AFAD) reported. The earthquake was felt across several cities in western Turkey, including Istanbul and the tourist hotspot of Izmir.
An elderly woman died shortly after being pulled out alive from the debris of a collapsed building in Sindirgi, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya told reporters. Four other people were rescued from the building.
Yerlikaya said a total of 16 buildings collapsed in the region – most of them derelict and unused. Two mosque minarets also tumbled down, he said. None of the injured were in serious condition, the minister added.
The earthquake hit at 7:53 pm (1653 GMT), with aftershocks ranging from 3.5 to 4.6 magnitude, according to AFAD.
Turkey is crisscrossed by several geological fault lines, which have previously caused catastrophes in the country.
An earthquake in February 2023 in the southwest killed at least 53,000 people and devastated Antakya, site of the ancient city of Antioch. At the beginning of July, a 5.8-magnitude tremor in the same region resulted in one death and injured 69 people.
