Controlled demolition, debris removal continue after Balıkesir quakes

BALIKESİR

Demolition and debris removal operations are ongoing in the northwestern province of Balıkesir’s Sındırgı district, following a string of earthquakes that have shaken the region sporadically since August.

Under the coordination of the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD), teams continue the controlled demolition of heavily damaged homes, workplaces and animal shelters to prevent further risks.

According to local authorities, demolition teams have so far torn down two severely damaged buildings on Balıkesir Street, three in the Rızaiye neighborhood and two in the Camicedit neighborhood.

Heavy machinery is actively clearing rubble from sites as cleanup efforts proceed under strict safety measures.

A 4.9-magnitude earthquake struck Sındırgı on Nov. 3 at 3:35 p.m. local time, followed by a 4.3 aftershock later that night. The tremors were felt across a wide area, including Istanbul, İzmir and Bursa, AFAD reported.

The quake’s epicenter was recorded at a depth of 11 kilometers and followed a 3.6-magnitude tremor just three minutes earlier.

The recent quakes come amid an ongoing wave of seismic activity that began with a 6.1-magnitude earthquake on Aug. 10 and a subsequent 6.0-magnitude event on Oct. 27. Since then, the region has endured nearly 15,000 aftershocks, a pattern seismologists have described as a “seismic storm.”

Authorities reported that several previously condemned buildings and a two-story commercial property collapsed in Sındırgı’s town center after the latest tremors, though no fatalities occurred. Twenty-two people were injured while fleeing in panic but have since been discharged from hospitals.

As aftershocks persisted through the nighttime, many residents refused to return to their homes, choosing instead to sleep in tents or cars.