An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.9 on the Richter scale was registered on Monday afternoon in the western part of Turkey, the Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate (AFAD) announced, News.bg reports.
According to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Center (EMSC), the earthquake occurred at 15:35 local time (14:35 Bulgarian time), with an epicenter 16 km southeast of the city of Sındırgı in the province of Balıkesir, at a depth of about 11 km.
The earthquakes were also partially felt in Istanbul, about 200 km from the epicenter. According to Turkish authorities, there were no reports of casualties or serious material damage.
Local residents in Balikesir and neighboring towns reported that the ground shook for a few seconds, and people left their homes in panic, but later returned. The tremor was also felt weakly in southeastern Bulgaria.
The earthquake comes a week after a stronger 6.1-magnitude quake registered on October 27 in the same area, which caused minor damage and dozens of injuries.
Turkey is located on one of the most active seismic zones in the world, with the Marmara Sea and Istanbul region remaining particularly vulnerable due to its proximity to the North Anatolian Fault - the same one that caused the catastrophic earthquake in Izmit in 1999.