A powerful earthquake struck northwestern Türkiye yesterday, prompting residents to evacuate their homes, according to emergency services. No casualties were immediately reported.
The magnitude 5.4 quake was centred in the town of Simav in Kutahya province at a depth of 8km, emergency agency AFAD said.
The earthquake struck at 12.59pm (0959 GMT) and was followed by a magnitude 4.0 aftershock. It was also felt in Istanbul, Türkiye’s largest city, some 100km to the north, according to media reports.
TV footage showed people in Kutahya gathering in squares and parks following the tremor.
In August, a magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck Sindirgi, in the neighbouring province of Balikesir. One person died and dozens were injured. Since then, the region around Balikesir has been hit by smaller shocks.
Türkiye sits atop major fault lines, and earthquakes are frequent.
In 2023, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake killed more than 53,000 people in Türkiye 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 neighbouring Syria.
&uuid=(email))