Turkey earthquake: one dead after buildings fall in magnitude-6.1 tremor
The epicentre of the earthquake was in Sindirgi, south of the city of Balikesir, at a depth of 10km, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre and the German Research Centre for Geosciences reported.
Tremors were felt in Istanbul and across several provinces.
Aftershocks ranging between magnitude 3.4 and 4.6 were felt in the area, the EMSC reported.
Balikesir's Mayor Ahmet Akin said one person had died on the way to the hospital after being rescued from under the rubble of a collapsed building.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said that 29 people had been injured but none of the injuries were serious, according to Anadolu Agency.
Several houses collapsed in the nearby village of Golcuk, he said. The minaret of a mosque also tumbled down in the village.
Turkey's disaster management agency has began field surveys, Turkish media reported, urging citizens not to enter damaged buildings.
"All AFAD teams and the relevant institutions have immediately begun searches on the ground. No undesirable event has been flagged up 'til now," Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said.
In February 2023, a magnitude 7.8-earthquake in south-western Turkey killed at least 53,000 people and devastated Antakya. Another 6,000 people were killed in the northern parts of neighbouring Syria.
More recently, a magnitude-5.8 tremor in the same region resulted in one death and injured 69 people at the start of July.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
2 days ago
- The National
Tenants tell of escape as Dubai residential block engulfed by flames
A Dubai resident said she feels lucky to be alive after escaping from her apartment as flames engulfed the apartment building. Leyna Bouazzi, 22, was awoken by an alarm that she first mistook for a reversing lorry in the early hours of Saturday. She shared footage that showed how rapid the blaze spread, apparently fuelled by cardboard boxes stored on balconies. Eight flats in the Elysee III Pantheon were damaged by a blaze that began shortly before 4am. Ambulance, police and Civil Defence personnel were at the scene and tackled the blaze. No injuries were reported. Those affected have been placed in nearby hotels, temporary accommodation, or with friends. The low-rise building has a mix of short-term holiday lets and longer-term rentals. The extent of the damage was visible by daytime. All valuables lost Ms Bouazzi, who is from France and works in recruitment, woke up at about 4am and quickly realised something was wrong. 'I went to bed quite early on Thursday, and I was woken up by red lights and a beeping noise, which I thought was a lorry reversing, but it was the fire alarm,' she said. 'All these stacked boxes had been falling onto my balcony for a month or so, I assumed it was a construction vehicle coming to pick them up. 'I just took a quick look outside and saw the fire.' When I opened the wardrobe door, the whole glass window exploded. It was really thick glass and exploded into the room Leyna Bouazzi Ms Bouazzi, who has been in Dubai for a year and has lived at the Elysee III block for six months, said she lost everything in the fire, including her passport, clothes and personal valuables. 'I took some of my valuables and tried to put them in the wardrobe,' she said. 'But when I opened the wardrobe door, the whole glass window exploded. It was really thick glass and exploded into the room, I was very lucky not to be hurt but it was a huge shock. 'I grabbed the first bag I could, which had my laptop in it, and immediately left the apartment. 'The water came out of the sprinkler system as soon as I walked out of my apartment.' The building was immediately evacuated while fire crews tackled the blaze. Residents were allowed back in to recover their possessions at about 9.30am on Friday. 'I've lost all my clothes, all my belongings, all my make-up, skincare and hair products, as well as the family stuff and pictures, absolutely everything is gone,' said Ms Bouazzi. 'There was 30cm of water on the floor in my apartment, so everything was ruined." I've no food, no shelter or shampoo, there's absolutely nothing to do. Leyna Bouazzi 'I've no food, no shelter or shampoo, there's absolutely nothing to do. I'm just staying with my friends for now.' Another resident, who did not want to be identified, was staying in an Airbnb apartment inside the building. He had been living there for a week when he was woken by a large bang and realised he had to leave the building quickly. Clean-up underway On Saturday, the clean-up was underway, with maintenance crews working on the damaged building. Hamza Khaleeli, a letting agent who manages two apartments, one of which was severely fire-damaged, said: 'I was worried about my tenant and made sure that she reached her hotel room.. 'I took her to the police station so she could give a statement about what happened. 'We handed over the apartment fully furnished, so we are trying to understand what is covered by insurance.' The developer has offered tenants temporary accommodation in an older buildings nearby. 'As I understand it the building itself will be covered by insurance, and we still have warranty on the whole apartment, but not the contents or personal possessions,' Mr Khaleeli added. Insurance cover Ali Abu Safieh, the building's legal director, said those affected by the fire were being supported. 'We've provided them shelter, and moved them all to secure their safety to ensure everything is going according to the UAE government procedures," he said. 'We will have to wait until the UAE Civil Defence report, but we think there are from six to eight apartments affected, but also common facility areas. 'Thankfully, no one was injured, and everyone was moved out safely.' He said, according to some residents, the fire broke out due to a discarded cigarette, 'but we will have to have this confirmed in the report'. 'Our procedures for all our apartments and properties have been covered with the insurance that is appropriate with the regulations,' Mr Abu Safieh said.
The National
2 days ago
- The National
Anger in Algeria as 18 killed by bus plunge into river
Algeria 's emergency services on Saturday said they were searching for victims of a bus crash that killed at least 18 people and prompted nationwide outrage over road safety. The accident occurred when the bus plunged into a river on Friday in the Mohammadia district of east Algiers, authorities said. Two people injured in the accident were in a critical condition, the emergency services said. More are feared dead. There was no immediate word on the cause of the accident. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune offered his condolences to the families of the victims and declared a day of mourning across the country with flags flown at half-mast. Mr Tebboune said: 'This is a tragedy that has touched us all' in a message to the nation and described the bus crash as a 'disaster'. Algerian Army's Chief of Staff, Lt Gen Said Chanegriha, also offered his condolences to the bereaved. In recent years, several accidents have been reported across the country as a result of poorly maintained roads, speeding, or mechanical failures. Friday's was the deadliest among a spate of accidents in recent months that has caused alarm over road safety in Algeria.
Khaleej Times
5 days ago
- Khaleej Times
Pregnant widow of Emirati killed in Turkey says driver was reckless: Emarat Al Youm
The widow of Emirati citizen Abdulmajid Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim, who died along with his sister in a tourist bus accident in Turkey's Trabzon province last Friday, revealed that her late husband had told her in a phone call that the driver of the bus carrying the family was driving recklessly, according to local news outlet Emarat Al Youm. She explained that she had been unable to accompany the family on their trip to Turkey because she is five months pregnant. Naema Idris, the widow, told Emarat Al Youm: 'I still cannot comprehend how my husband's and his family's tourist trip turned into a tragedy,' adding, 'I was waiting for my husband to return safely, but God's will is absolute, and no one can avert his decree.' She said the trip was her husband's first visit to Trabzon with his parents, brother, and sister. They left the UAE last Thursday to join a local tour company, and only one day after their arrival, the accident happened on the second day of their visit. The widow said that after performing Friday prayers, they set out to visit an area known as Fish Lake (Balik Gölü). She never imagined that would be her husband's final destination. 'The last call between me and him was at 1pm, when he told me the driver was driving recklessly,' she said. According to the widow citing the account of her mother-in-law, who survived the accident, the bus driver became involved in a dispute with another driver travelling slowly on the mountain road. He overtook at high speed on a dangerous slope, and shortly afterward the crash occurred. The widow added that her mother-in-law told her the crash was sudden and unexpected, and that she found herself trapped inside the vehicle until rescue teams arrived and freed them. Naema said she travelled to Turkey immediately after learning of the accident to bring her husband's and sister-in-law's bodies home, praying for God's mercy upon them. She also told Emarat Al Youm that she learned from the authorities in Turkey that the driver had been detained pending investigation. She confirmed that the injured, her father-in-law and her husband's younger brother, are still receiving treatment in a hospital in Trabzon. She said the child's condition is critical, and he is in intensive care, while the father requires urgent surgery. Regarding the injured, Marwan Mohammed Al Hammadi, the son of the injured man and brother of the deceased who is currently in Turkey to be with his father and brother, told Emarat Al Youm that his father has multiple injuries, including three fractures in the elbow, forearm, and one finger, in addition to a head injury. He said doctors are monitoring his condition closely and plan to perform surgery at the current hospital in Turkey before transferring him to the UAE once his condition stabilizes. He added that his younger brother Ibrahim, who is in intensive care, is allowed only one family visit per day. He explained that the date of his surgery will depend on the results of ongoing medical tests, noting that he has fractures to the spine, chest, and pelvis. According to Turkey's Anadolu Agency, the accident resulted in the deaths of two Emirati citizens and injuries to three of their relatives after a tourist bus overturned near a river alongside Lake Balik in Çaykara, Trabzon. Initial reports published by the agency stated that the victims were Maryam Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim, 18, and Abdulmajid Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim, 32, both Emirati nationals. The injured were identified as Ibrahim Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim, 15; Samira Mohammed Abdulrahman, 53; and Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim, 60. The Anadolu agency said gendarmerie and ambulance crews rushed to the scene after receiving calls from tourists and local residents. After extensive efforts, the injured who had been trapped inside were rescued, with an ambulance and a helicopter called in to transport them to a hospital. The agency added that the injured were trapped inside the bus before being removed and taken to Trabzon State Hospital, and that investigations are still underway to determine the circumstances of the crash. The Trabzon Governor's Office said in a statement that, while driving a tourist vehicle operated by a private company under EU management, the driver lost control of the steering wheel and plunged 50 metres into a ravine. 'Upon receiving the accident report, two public security teams and two traffic gendarmerie teams were dispatched to the scene,' the statement said. 'Of the five Emirati tourists in the vehicle, excluding the driver, a young man and his sister died at the scene, while the injured and the driver were transported to hospital by ambulance.' Judicial and administrative investigations have begun.
