Balıkesir quake severely damages over 190 buildings, minister says

BALIKESİR

A 6.1-magnitude earthquake that struck the northwestern province of Balıkesir last week caused severe damage to 193 buildings, the urbanization minister said on Aug.12.

“We felt this quake in many provinces. Since then, we have experienced more than 800 aftershocks,” Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum said during a visit to Sındırgı, the district at the epicenter.

The quake, which occurred on Aug. 10 at a depth of 11 kilometers, was centered in Balıkesir but was felt in many other places, including Istanbul. It killed an elderly resident in a collapsed three-story apartment block and injured 29 others across the region.

“In Balıkesir, we identified 265 housing units in 152 buildings as either heavily damaged or destroyed, while in Manisa, 52 units in 45 buildings sustained the same level of damage,” Kurum told reporters during his visit.

In total, 193 buildings were heavily damaged, Kurum said, urging residents not to enter risky structures.

“We will carry out a thorough inspection of every building in Sındırgı. Our teams will knock on every door,” the minister said.

The collapsed apartment building in Sındırgı was among the few inhabited structures to fall. Authorities detained the owner and the constructor for questioning on suspicion of “causing death and injury by negligence,” Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç said. Reports alleged that the building once housed a bakery and that during renovations in 2012, a load-bearing column had been cut.