A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck Balıkesir, Turkey, toppling homes and triggering overnight rescue operations in affected towns.
ISTANBUL: A magnitude 6.1 earthquake hit the Sındırgı district of Balıkesir province in western Turkey on August 10, 2025, at about 7:53 p.m. local time, the Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD) reported. The tremor caused widespread damage, reducing homes and small businesses to rubble in seconds.
Tremors were felt as far as Istanbul and Izmir, sending residents fleeing to open areas in panic. Local hospitals reported several injuries, though none were life-threatening. Rescue crews worked through the night, searching collapsed buildings for survivors and moving displaced residents to emergency shelters.
Officials confirmed that at least a dozen buildings were completely destroyed in Sındırgı and nearby villages including Golcuk. Multiple aftershocks followed, the strongest measuring magnitude 4.6, prompting authorities to warn residents not to re-enter damaged buildings.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan pledged swift government aid, stating that relief teams were on the ground and support would continue. Positioned along the North Anatolian Fault, Turkey remains one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. This disaster comes just two years after the 2023 quake that claimed over 53,000 lives in Turkey and Syria.
