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Turkish authorities reported 879 aftershocks have occurred since a 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck the Sindirgi district of Balikesir province on Sunday evening, as search and rescue operations concluded with one confirmed fatality.
The Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said the aftershocks followed the initial quake that hit at 7:53 p.m. local time at a depth of 11 kilometers. Of the recorded tremors, 17 measured between magnitude 4.0 and 5.0, while 120 fell in the 3.0 to 4.0 range.
Three significant aftershocks measuring 4.6, 4.1, and 4.0 magnitude struck within minutes of the main earthquake, all centered in Sindirgi at varying depths between 6.78 and 16.07 kilometers.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced that four people were rescued from collapsed buildings, but an 81-year-old man died despite rescue efforts. Search operations have been completed at the main collapse site in Sindirgi's center.
"Four people were rescued from a location where six lived, and search efforts continue for two others. We have no information about any loss of life," Sindirgi Mayor Serkan Sak had said earlier, before the fatality was confirmed.
The earthquake caused widespread damage across the rural district. Yerlikaya reported that 16 buildings collapsed across 68 villages in the region, with 12 of the structures abandoned and four inhabited. Residents of the occupied buildings managed to evacuate safely during the initial quake.
The tremor was felt across a broad swath of western Türkiye, including in the country's largest city, Istanbul, as well as the provinces of Izmir, Kutahya, Yalova, Manisa, Usak, Aydin, Eskisehir, Sakarya and Tekirdag.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed condolences to those affected and said he would closely monitor the situation's development.
Türkiye sits on major geological fault lines that have produced catastrophic earthquakes in recent years. A devastating 7.8-magnitude quake in February 2023 killed more than 53,000 people across the country's southeast. More recently, a 5.8-magnitude tremor in July resulted in one death and 69 injuries in the same region.
The Balikesir earthquake represents the latest seismic activity to impact Türkiye's earthquake-prone western regions, where millions of residents remain vulnerable to geological instability.
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