Magnitude 6.1 earthquake hits Turkey, felt in Istanbul

ISTANBUL (AP) — A magnitude 6.1 earthquake occurred in Turkey’s northwestern province of on Sunday evening, sending shocks that were felt some 200 kilometers (125 miles) away in Istanbul.

Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Agency said the earthquake was followed by several aftershocks, including one measuring 4.6, and urged citizens not to enter damaged buildings.

Local media reports that at least one building collapsed in the town of Sindirgi, near the epicenter of the earthquake.

Turkey sits on top of major fault lines and earthquakes are frequent.

In 2023, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake killed more than 53,000 people in Turkey and destroyed or damaged hundreds of thousands of buildings in 11 southern and southeastern provinces. Another 6,000 people were killed in the northern parts of neighboring Syria.