Earthquake of magnitude 6.1 strikes western Turkey

ISTANBUL: An earthquake of magnitude 6.1 struck western Turkey on Sunday, the country’s AFAD disaster management authority said, while local media said the quake was felt across multiple provinces.

AFAD said the quake occurred at around 7:53pm local time in the Balikesir province, near Turkey’s biggest city Istanbul, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage in any of the affected provinces.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on X that emergency teams from AFAD had started inspections around Istanbul and the neighbouring provinces but that no negative reports had come through so far.