A powerful 6.1-magnitude earthquake hit Turkey, with reports suggesting that several buildings have collapsed. The earthquake's epicenter was located in Sindirgi, Balikesir, in western Turkey, where started to feel the tremors at around 8 p.m. local time on Sunday night.
About 10 buildings were brought down by the disaster, which was followed just minutes later by a 4.6-magnitude aftershock. Officials said that a total of seven aftershocks measured above magnitude 3.0. According to Mayor Serkan Sak, who spoke to the Turkish private channel NTV, one of the destroyed structures was a three-story home in the city center. Disaster management teams have already reached several spots and have started rescue operations.
Turkey Hit Again by Earthquake
"Six people lived in this three-storey building. Four were rescued from the rubble," Sak said, adding that efforts to extract the other two were underway. "Buildings and mosques were destroyed, but we have no reports of loss of life," he said.
Sak also said that many houses collapsed in the nearby village of Golcuk, where the minaret of a mosque also came down.
Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu said on X that four people were receiving hospital treatment, none of whom were in critical condition.
Officials said the earthquake was felt across several western cities, including Istanbul and the popular tourist city of Izmir.
According to the governor's office, two people were trapped beneath rubble in Istanbul but were rescued by emergency crews. Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD) has urged residents to stay out of damaged buildings.
Multiple Tremors in Risk Zone
Footage circulating on social media appears to show the wreckage of a collapsed building and distressed locals in the aftermath. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan released a statement wishing those affected a swift recovery, writing on X, "May God protect our country from any kind of disasters."
Turkey sits on fault lines, and earthquakes are frequent.
In 2023, a powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake killed over 53,000 lives in Turkey and left hundreds of thousands of buildings across 11 southern and southeastern provinces destroyed or damaged.
In neighboring Syria's northern regions, the disaster also killed around 6,000 people.
The disaster ministry said, "On August 10, 2025, at 7:53 PM, a 6.1 magnitude earthquake occurred in the Sındırgı district of Balıkesir province.
"The earthquake was felt in the provinces of Manisa, İzmir, Uşak, and Bursa. To date, a total of seven aftershocks exceeding magnitude 3.0 have occurred.
"Field surveys are currently ongoing. AFAD Provincial Directorates in Çanakkale, İzmir, Afyonkarahisar, Uşak, Bursa, Sakarya, Kütahya, Bilecik, Manisa, and Kocaeli have dispatched personnel and vehicles to support search and rescue efforts.
"The Turkish Disaster Response Plan (TAMP) has been activated, and representatives of all disaster groups will meet at the AFAD Disaster and Emergency Management Center."
