ALBAWABA - The Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) says that on Sunday evening, a strong earthquake reading 6.1 on the Richter scale hit the western province of Balıkesir in Turkey.
They shook at 7:53 p.m. local time, and the epicenter was in the Sindirgi area of Balıkesir. The AFAD said the quake happened 11 kilometers below the surface, while the GFZ said it happened 10 kilometers below the surface and had a value of 6.19.
According to local media, the earthquake was felt in several provinces, including Istanbul. As a safety measure, people in different neighborhoods left their homes and met in parks.
The Istanbul Governor's Office said in a statement that some people who felt the tremors went to open places.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on X (which used to be Twitter) that AFAD emergency teams had been sent to Istanbul and the towns nearby to do checks. He made it clear that there had been no deaths or major injury reported yet.
Turkey is on a lot of busy fault lines, so earthquakes happen there a lot. This earthquake happened at a time when people were more aware of earthquakes. The police are still keeping a close eye on things and have asked people to stay cool while safety checks are done.
