Post by Fenlander on Jul 11, 2008 9:05:41 GMT 2
Balýkesir shaken by magnitude 4.9 earthquake
Two earthquakes centered in the Gönen district of midwestern Balýkesir province occurred yesterday at 10:49 a.m. and 11:42 a.m., with magnitudes of 4.9 and 2.8, respectively.
The Balýkesir Governor's Office reported that no injuries or property damage resulted from the quakes. Boðaziçi University Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute found that the quake was centered in the district's Tütüncüler village. The quakes were felt in the provinces of Ýstanbul, Çanakkale, Bursa, Ýzmir and Manisa, as well. Many Balýkesir residents exited their houses and offices during the quakes, yet the panicked atmosphere was short lived. Head of Tütüncü village Ali Dinkçi stated that no one was injured in the earthquake. "Not even a little crack could be found in our houses," he noted. Recalling that the village experienced another earthquake in the 1960s in which some houses collapsed, Dinkçi said the two recent quakes caused a little panic but that people soon returned to their regular activities. Upon hearing news of the quakes, the Turkish Red Crescent (Kýzýlay) sent a team to the region. In Ankara a crisis team met at Kýzýlay's Disaster Operation Center (AFOM).