45 people injured during severe shaking caused by M6.1 earthquake in western Turkey
A strong and shallow earthquake, registered by the USGS as M6.1, hit Düzce, western Turkey at 01:08 UTC on November 23, 2022. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.0 at a depth of 7 km (4.3 miles). The Istanbul-based Boğaziçi University Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute reported the quake as M6.0.
The epicenter was located 16.6 km (10.3 miles) W of Düzce (population 57 739), 19.2 km (11.9 mile) ENE of Hendek (population 35 257), 24.9 km (15.4 miles) SSW of Kocaali (population 15 076), 29.2 km (18.1 miles) SSE of Karasu Mahallesi (population 39 508), and 29.4 km (18.3 miles) SSW of Akçakoca (population 35 151), Turkey.
41 000 people are estimated to have felt severe shaking, 197 000 very strong, 118 000 strong, 966 000 moderate, and 18 813 000 light.
The USGS issued a Yellow alert for shaking-related fatalities — some casualties are possible — and an Orange alert for economic losses.
Significant damage is likely and the disaster is potentially widespread. Estimated economic losses are less than 1% of GDP of Turkey. Past events with this alert level have required a regional or national level response.
Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are a mix of vulnerable and earthquake resistant construction. The predominant vulnerable building types are adobe block and dressed stone/block masonry construction.
Recent earthquakes in this area have caused secondary hazards such as landslides that might have contributed to losses.
Authorities said 45 people were injured in the earthquake, which caused damage to some buildings though none entirely collapsed according to initial assessments, the Daily Sabah reports.1 One person is in serious condition.
Frightened residents of Düzce rushed to the streets and spent the rest of the night outside, their report said.
Most injuries were the result of frightened people jumping from windows.
Along with Düzce where 37 people were injured, injuries were also reported in Istanbul and the northern provinces of Bolu and Zonguldak, located closer to Düzce.
Power outages were reported but they were caused by controlled shutdowns. The service has since been restored to some neighborhoods.
Düzce Mayor Faruk Özlü and Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu confirmed that there were no reported fatalities.
The Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) reported 74 aftershocks.
The agency is still checking the villages further from densely populated areas for damage and casualties and so far, only a few livestock stables were found to have collapsed.
On November 12, 1999, Düzce was hit by a M7.1 earthquake in which 710 people lost their lives. 2 679 people were injured.
This quake hit after M7.7 in the northwestern city of Izmit killed 18 373 people and injured 23 781.
Estimated population exposure to earthquake shaking
Selected cities exposed
Regional seismicity
References:
1 5.9 earthquake shakes Türkiye’s Düzce, frightens whole region – Daily Sabah – November 23, 2022
Featured image credit: TW/SAM, Google
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