ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday expressed solidarity with Turkiye and offered humanitarian assistance following a magnitude 6.1 earthquake that struck the country’s western region, injuring 22 people.
According to Turkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), the quake was centered in Sindirgi, Balikesir province. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said three unoccupied buildings and a two-storey shop collapsed in the area.
No fatalities were reported, though 22 people sustained injuries caused by panic-related falls, Balikesir Governor Ismail Ustaoglu said.
“Pakistan stands in full solidarity with the people of Türkiye following the 6.1 magnitude earthquake today,” Dar wrote on X, adding that Islamabad was “ready to extend humanitarian assistance and aid in search and rescue efforts.”
Turkiye sits atop several major fault lines and frequently experiences earthquakes. In 2023, a 7.8 magnitude quake devastated the country’s southern and southeastern regions, killing more than 53,000 people and destroying hundreds of thousands of buildings. Another 6,000 deaths were reported in neighboring Syria.
