6.1 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Türkiye; Building Collapse Kills One, Many Trapped

Istanbul (The Uttam Hindu): A 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck Turkey's northwestern province of Balıkesir, killing one person. According to the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), the earthquake struck Sindirgi district at 7:53 pm on Sunday. Home Minister Ali Yerlikaya said that an 81-year-old man died after being rescued. Many people were injured and more than 15 buildings collapsed. Footage shown on NTV broadcaster showed a building turned into rubble, with efforts being made to rescue people trapped under the debris.

According to Xinhua news agency, Minister Yerlikaya said on social media platform X that the tremor was also felt in Istanbul and surrounding areas. After this, AFAD and all related agencies immediately went to the spot and started investigation. He said, "At the moment, there are no reports of any adverse situation, and we are closely monitoring the developments." According to pictures broadcast by Turkish media, several buildings collapsed in Balikesir province after the earthquake. Earlier, on August 3, a 6.8 magnitude tremor was felt on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula in the Pacific Ocean on Sunday. This earthquake occurred at 5:37 pm local time.

It was located 277 kilometers from the regional capital Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, at a depth of 26 kilometers. Earlier, a powerful earthquake of magnitude 7 struck Russia's Kuril Islands, according to the German Geological Research Center (GFZ). The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center measured the quake at 7.0 and confirmed that no tsunami warning was issued following the earthquake. The earthquake came after another 6.2 magnitude quake was recorded late Friday night east of the Kuril Islands. This seismic activity followed a massive 8.7 magnitude earthquake on July 30, which was equal to the sixth most powerful earthquake ever recorded worldwide.