After the earthquake in Türkiye of magnitude 6.1 recorded yesterday at 10.48pm (8.48pm in Italy) there were two new ones earthquakes of magnitude 4.8 and 4.7 at 10.10 and 10.54 (local time, 08.10 and 08.54 in Italy) today, Tuesday 28 October. The epicenter of the earthquakes was located in the city of Sindirgiin the province of Balikesir (in the west of the country), with a hypocenter at a depth of 9km for the M=6.1 earthquake, of 34km for the shock of M=4.8 and of 13km for that of M=4.7, as reported by INGV.
Therefore, a seismic sequence is underway in the country, which is characterized by a shock of greater magnitude (mainshock) followed by tremors of lesser intensity (aftershock or aftershocks). Regarding the two new tremors, the authorities have not yet released information: the 6.1 magnitude earthquake, however, was felt in much of Türkiye, from Istanbul up to some cities such as Izmir, Izmit and Bursa, among the most populous in the country.
Numerous people ran into the street immediately after the first tremor: for the moment, however, no victims have been reported, although several damages and some buildings were left without electricityas seen in the video below. In particular, the Government confirmed the collapse of three buildings in a state of abandonment, inviting the population to avoid staying near the structures at risk of collapse.
However, for Turkey, earthquakes of this intensity are nothing new: last April a 6.2 magnitude earthquake in the Sea of Marmara caused over 150 injuries, while in February 2023 a 7.9 magnitude earthquake devastated the country, causing at least 10,000 victims. Turkey, in fact, is located in a geographical area along the convergence of three different tectonic plates: the Anatolian one, the Arab one and the African one. One of the characteristics of this area is that most of the earthquakes recorded throughout history have been formed in shallow depths: even the most intense earthquake that occurred in Türkiye on 6 February 2023 recorded a hypocenter of only 17.9 km.
