Turkey hit by magnitude 6.1 earthquake

A magnitude 6.1 earthquake jolted western Turkey, the country’s emergencies authority said.

The quake with an epicenter in the Balikesir province was registered at 7:53 p.m. local time (4:53 p.m. GMT).

Turkey’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed that the earthquake caused no negative consequences. Earth tremors, in his words, were felt in Istanbul.

The minister said one person died and 29 more people were hurt after a 6.1 magnitude earthquake in western Turkey.

"A 81-year-old man died and 29 people were hurt as a result of the earthquake. Sixteen houses were destroyed," Yerlikaya said.

The earthquake rocked Turkey’s Balikesir province at 7:53 p.m. local time (4:53 p.m. GMT). Earth tremors were felt at least in ten localities in Turkey, including Istanbul.