212 Aftershocks Following 5.4-Magnitude Manisa Earthquake
* Photos: Mehmet Emin Mengüarslan (AA)
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Following the 5.4-magnitude earthquake that hit the district of Akhisar in Turkey's Mediterranean province of Manisa at 10.22 p.m. yesterday (January 22), the teams of the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) have started working to assess damages caused by the earthquake.
CLICK - Earthquakes in Manisa and Ankara
Making a statement about the earthquake, the AFAD has announced that as of 9.25 a.m. this morning, 212 aftershocks have hit Manisa. While eight of these aftershocks were over the magnitude of 4.0, the biggest of these aftershocks was at the magnitude of 4.3.
The Authority has also made a statement about the 4.5-magnitude earthquake that hit Akyurt in the capital city of Ankara this morning. As of 10 a.m., 10 aftershocks have hit the city and the biggest of them was at the magnitude of 3.0, according to the AFAD statement.
Damage detected in 15 houses
In the damage assessment works conducted in Manisa after the 5.4-magnitude earthquake, no collapsed buildings have been detected in Musalar neighborhood, the epicenter of the earthquake, and nearby neighborhoods of Selçikli, İlyaslar, Karakurt, Dingiller and Gökçeahmet.
On the other side, wall cracks have been detected in 15 houses, the majority of which are made of mudbrick or are old buildings. While several citizens affected by the earthquake spent the night over the fire outside, some citizens returned to their homes as it was minus four degrees.
The Red Crescent set up tents for the citizens who wanted to spend the night outdoors. They were also served soup and hot beverages.
Children slept in car at night
Ali Osman Altınöz, who lives in the Neighborhood of Selçikli, has cracks on the walls of his house as a result of the earthquake. Speaking to the reporter of the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA), Altınöz has indicated that the electricity was cut following the earthquake.
Stating that they left their houses after the earthquake ended, Altınöz has also said, "Plasters started to fall at the moment of earthquake. There are also cracks in the house. It was very severe. We luckily do not have any casualties. We waited outside till morning."
Bünyamin Oluk has also stated, "Our children slept in the car at night. And we built a fire and waited until the morning. Some houses in our neighborhood have cracks. Some of them have been so damaged that they cannot be resided any longer." (AÖ/SD)
* Source: Anadolu Agency (AA)