
One killed, dozens injured, as quake hits western Turkey
The quake was felt across several cities in the west of the country, including Istanbul and the tourist hotspot of Izmir.
"An 81-year-old person died soon after having been rescued from under the rubble," Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya told journalists at Sindirgi, the epicentre of the quake.
Another 29 people had been injured, but not seriously, he added.
The quake collapsed 16 buildings in Sindirgi and its surroundings, of which four were inhabited, including a three-storey building in the city centre, he said.
Several people were pulled alive from the rubble of the three-storey building, where six people were living. The person who died had also been buried under the rubble there before being freed.
Earlier, Mayor Serkan Sak had told Turkish private channel NTV: "Four were rescued from the rubble." Efforts to extract two others were ongoing, he added.
Some 319 first responders were deployed to the affected zone, AFAD said.
The quake hit at 7:53 pm (1653 GMT), with some 20 aftershocks ranging from 3.5 to 4.6 magnitude, according to AFAD.
Turkey is crisscrossed by several geological fault lines which have previously caused catastrophes in the country.
A quake in February 2023 in the southwest killed at least 53,000 people and devastated Antakya, site of the ancient city of Antioch.
At the beginning of July, a 5.8-magnitude tremor in the same region resulted in one death and injured 69 people.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Maverick
an hour ago
- Daily Maverick
Tropical storm Podul drenches southern China
The Asian financial hub issued its highest-level 'black' weather warning, adjourning the hearing of Hong Kong media tycoon and pro-democracy advocate Jimmy Lai until the torrential rain subsides, as a queue formed outside the court for the public gallery. Medical authorities announced that out-patient clinics across Hong Kong would shut until the 'black' rainstorm warning is lifted, with accident and emergency services remaining open. The postal service said it would also suspend operations due to the downpour. Podul weakened from a typhoon to a tropical storm after making landfall in Taiwan on Wednesday, where winds of up to 191 kph (118 mph) left one person missing and 143 injured, but its residual vortex stands to wreak havoc in southern China, still reeling from the heaviest rains in generations last week. China, the world's second-largest economy, faces growing threats from extreme weather, which meteorologists link to climate change. Risks that each year stand to wipe out tens of billions of dollars worth of commercial activity, as cities flood, shipping activity stalls, and croplands are washed out. Podul made landfall on the coast of China's southeastern province of Fujian at 00:30 local time (GMT 16:30 Wednesday), and is forecast to move northwest at a speed of 30 to 35 kms (21.75 miles) per hour, according to China's weather authority. A good day for the ducks, though, who will have the Hong Kong Wetland Park to themselves, which is closed for the time being.


Daily Maverick
14 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
Typhoon Podul blows through southern Taiwan leaving one person missing
Taiwan is regularly hit by typhoons, generally along its mountainous east coast facing the Pacific. Podul slammed into the southeastern city of Taitung around 1 p.m. (0500 GMT), passed through the southern tip of the island and then into the Taiwan Strait some three hours later, Taiwan's Central Weather Administration said. It is expected to next make landfall on China's southern coast late on Wednesday or early Thursday, affecting Fujian and Guangdong provinces, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. In Taiwan, one person was reported missing and 33 others injured, the government said. Nine cities and counties announced the suspension of work and school for Wednesday, including the southern metropolises of Kaohsiung and Tainan. In the capital Taipei, home to Taiwan's financial markets, there were blustery winds but no impact. Authorities also evacuated those whose homes were damaged by a July typhoon that brought record winds and damaged the electricity grid in a rare direct hit to Taiwan's west coast. The government said more than 5,500 people had been evacuated ahead of the typhoon's arrival. All domestic flights were cancelled on Wednesday – 252 in total – while 155 international flights were also called off, the transport ministry said. Taiwan's two main international carriers China Airlines and EVA Air said their cancellations were focused on routes out of Kaohsiung, with some flights from the island's main international airport at Taoyuan stopped as well. As much as 600 mm (24 inches) of rain was forecast in southern mountainous areas over the coming few days, the Central Weather Administration said. More than a year's rainfall fell in a single week this month in some southern areas, unleashing widespread landslides and flooding, with four deaths.


eNCA
3 days ago
- eNCA
One killed, dozens injured, as quake hits western Turkey
ISTANBUL - A 6.1-magnitude quake struck Sindirgi in western Turkey on Sunday, the Turkish disaster management agency (AFAD) said, killing at least one person and injuring dozens more. The quake was felt across several cities in the west of the country, including Istanbul and the tourist hotspot of Izmir. "An 81-year-old person died soon after having been rescued from under the rubble," Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya told journalists at Sindirgi, the epicentre of the quake. Another 29 people had been injured, but not seriously, he added. The quake collapsed 16 buildings in Sindirgi and its surroundings, of which four were inhabited, including a three-storey building in the city centre, he said. Several people were pulled alive from the rubble of the three-storey building, where six people were living. The person who died had also been buried under the rubble there before being freed. Earlier, Mayor Serkan Sak had told Turkish private channel NTV: "Four were rescued from the rubble." Efforts to extract two others were ongoing, he added. Some 319 first responders were deployed to the affected zone, AFAD said. The quake hit at 7:53 pm (1653 GMT), with some 20 aftershocks ranging from 3.5 to 4.6 magnitude, according to AFAD. Turkey is crisscrossed by several geological fault lines which have previously caused catastrophes in the country. A quake in February 2023 in the southwest killed at least 53,000 people and devastated Antakya, site of the ancient city of Antioch. At the beginning of July, a 5.8-magnitude tremor in the same region resulted in one death and injured 69 people.