On Sunday, a magnitude-6.1 earthquake shook the northwestern province of Balikesir in Türkiye, leaving at least one person dead and 29 injured. The quake’s epicenter was in the town of Sindirgi, sending tremors felt over 200 km away in Istanbul, home to over 16 million people.
Rescue teams raced into action, pulling an elderly woman alive from the rubble of a collapsed building in Sindirgi. Sadly, she passed away shortly after. Four more people were rescued from the same building. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya reported that 16 buildings, mostly derelict, crumbled and two mosque minarets tumbled down. The good news: none of the injured are in serious condition.
Almost like a scene from your favorite action movie, TV footage showed rescue crews asking for silence to listen for any signs of life under the debris. Meanwhile, Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD) warned of aftershocks, including one measuring 4.6, and urged residents not to enter damaged structures.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent his thoughts to all those affected, wishing them a speedy recovery. Türkiye sits atop major fault lines, so earthquakes aren’t new here. In fact, last year’s magnitude-7.8 quake claimed over 53,000 lives in southern Türkiye and another 6,000 in northern Syria.
Our hearts go out to everyone impacted. Stay safe, and remember: when the ground trembles, help and hope move mountains. 🙏
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
