An earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale struck last night in the province of Balıkesir, in northwestern Turkey, where hundreds of earthquakes and aftershocks since August have intrigued scientists, puzzled by the duration and amplitude of these tremors.
As reported by numerous media outlets in Türkiye, the quake struck at around 00:05 midnight (23:05 CET) and could be felt in several nearby provinces, including Istanbul, Yalova, İzmir, Aydın, Bursa and Çanakkale. Many residents in the area near the epicentre took to the streets after feeling the tremor, with brief scenes of panic at times, although the local governor confirmed that there were no reports of major damage.
The Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD) reported that the epicentre was in the Sındırgı district of southern Balıkesir province, and that the earthquake reached a magnitude of 4.9, although the US Geological Survey (USGS) put the magnitude at 5.1 on the Richter scale, while the Kandilli Seismological Observatory in Istanbul put the magnitude at 5.0, estimating the quake at 7.4 km depth.
AFAD also reported another earthquake at 4:19 a.m. (3:19 CET) in the Aegean Sea, at a depth of about 9 km and 139 km from the Turkish island of Gökçeada, reaching a magnitude of 4.8 but causing no adverse effects.
The Sındırgı district of Balıkesir province has suffered hundreds of tremors since a 6.1 earthquake on 10 August left dozens of people injured and damaged many buildings, 16 of which collapsed under the force of the quake. Experts are at a loss to explain the reason for the continuous tremors and attribute them to the underground structure of the region, but for now they rule out that they are the forerunner of a major earthquake.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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