ISTANBUL (AP) — The magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck Turkey’s northwestern province of Balixel on Sunday, causing about 12 buildings to collapse, officials said. At least one person was trapped in pieces of a collapsed building.
The earthquake, which epicenter of the town of Sindirgi, sent shockwaves about 200 kilometers (125 miles) north of Istanbul, a city of over 16 million people.
Home Minister Ali Yarikaya told NTV stations across the country that five people, including an elderly woman, have been rescued from the collapsed building in Shindirji, and rescuers are trying to reach another person.
Sindirgi Mayor Selkan Sak said several homes have also collapsed in the nearby village of Gorkuk. The minarets at the mosque also tumbled down in the village.
Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu said four people at X are undergoing treatment in hospitals. None of them were life-threatening conditions, he said.
“Our hope is to get through this without losing our lives,” Ahmet Akin, the head of the province, also known as Balixel, told the Harbertourk News Channel.
Türkiye’s disaster and emergency management agency He said that the earthquake was followed by several aftershocks, including one measuring 4.6, urging citizens not to enter damaged buildings.
President Recept Tayyip Erdogan has issued a statement that all affected citizens hope for a quick recovery.
“May God protect our kingdom from all sorts of disasters,” he wrote to X.
Turkey sits on top of major fault lines and earthquakes occur frequently.
2023, Magnitude 7.8 earthquake It killed more than 53,000 people in Türkiye, destroying or destroying hundreds of thousands of buildings in 11 southeastern and southeastern provinces. Another 6,000 people have been killed in nearby northern Syria.
