Bingol Earthquake Released Power of 3.5 Atomic Bombs

"The Bingol earthquake had a depth of 10 kilometers. It lasted 19 seconds. The energy released in the quake was 5 million quadrillion calories, and it was approximately equivalent to the power of three-and-a-half atomic bombs. It was 25 times less powerful than 1999 Golcuk earthquake," said Ercan.

The head of Bogazici University’s Kandilli Observatory and Seismology Institute, Professor Gulay Barbarosoglu, advised that nearly 70 aftershocks had struck the area in the aftermath of the earthquake, with the largest having a magnitude of four.

Barbarosoglu said the quake was centered just northeast of Bingol, adjacent to a less populated part of the city. He warned that aftershocks might continue, rising as high as 5.4 on the Richter scale.

Gurhan Savgi / Istanbul / TURKEY