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A 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck the Sindirgi district of Balikesir in western Türkiye, with tremors felt across major cities including Bursa, Istanbul, Tekirdag, and Izmir. According to Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), the quake occurred at 7:53 p.m. local time and caused significant fear in the region.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya stated that 16 collapsed buildings were detected in rural areas of Balikesir, and one person lost their life after being trapped under debris.
Google’s Android Early Earthquake Alerts system notified users about 30 seconds before the tremor began. The message, titled “Mild shaking expected,” informed users near Balikesir of an anticipated 5.7-magnitude earthquake. Owners of iPhones, however, shared on social media that they did not receive any such alerts. Google had previously acknowledged failing to send notifications during the devastating Kahramanmaras earthquakes.
The Android Earthquake Alerts feature operates in over 100 countries, including Türkiye. It detects the initial seismic waves deep underground, which travel more slowly to the Earth’s surface, and uses this delay to process data and alert people living away from the epicentre before the stronger shaking arrives.
For relatively minor earthquakes, users receive a “Be careful” alert containing information about the quake’s magnitude and epicentre. In such cases, if the phone is set to “Do Not Disturb” mode, the notification appears silently. For severe tremors, a “Take action” alert is sent, bypassing the “Do Not Disturb” setting to deliver a loud warning that prompts immediate safety measures.
Google has admitted its system failed to deliver timely alerts during the Feb. 6, 2023, earthquakes in Kahramanmaras, Türkiye, which killed more than 55,000 people. The company told the BBC it underestimated the magnitude of the 7.8-magnitude quake, sending only 469 “Take Action” alerts instead of warning the approximately 10 million people who should have received them.
About 500,000 users instead got a lower-level “Be Aware” notification, which does not override silent settings, losing a chance to provide up to 35 seconds of potentially life-saving warning.
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