6.1 Earthquake Hits Turkey Killing 1 Person

One person has died in Turkey after a magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck the north-west province of Balikesir on Sunday evening.

An 81-year-old woman passed away shortly after she was pulled out from rubble in the town of Sindirgi, which was the epicentre of the quake.

Sixteen buildings collapsed as a result of the tremors, and 29 people had been injured.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a statement wishing a swift recovery to everyone who was affected, and said that all recovery efforts were being closely monitored.

Search and rescue operations have now concluded, and the interior minister said that there were no other signs of serious damage or casualties.

Turkey is located at the intersection of three major tectonic plates, and experiences frequent seismic activity as a result.

In February 2023, more than 50,000 people were killed when a 7.8 magnitude earthquake devastated the south-eastern region of the country.

A further 5,000 were killed in neighbouring Syria.

More than two years on from that quake, hundreds of thousands of people remain displaced.