On March 28, 1969, a 6.7 magnitude earthquake hits the Alaşehir district of Manisa. The March 29 editions of Cumhuriyet and Milliyet newspapers prominently feature the event under the headline "Ege’de Deprem" (Earthquake in the Aegean Region). The reports detail the severe impact, including split streets, widespread fear, and citizens' efforts to construct temporary shelters. Photographs capture the devastation: a child being pulled from the rubble, people searching for loved ones, and the remains of collapsed wooden houses.
Additional reports describe ongoing aftershocks, snow in the affected areas, and the government's response, with Prime Minister Demirel visiting the region. The articles also mention illnesses spreading among people sleeping outside in fear of aftershocks.
Date: March 23, 1969
Magnitude: 5.9 Mw
Fatalities (official numbers): n/a
Damaged buildings (official numbers): 945
April 1969
"Ege’de deprem; 268 ev yıkıld, can kaybı yok." Cumhuriyet, April 7, 1969, 1.
"Demirel, deprem bölgesinden Ankara’ya döndü." Cumhuriyet, April 6, 1969, 7.
"Başbakan, deprem bölgesinde.." Cumhuriyet, April 5, 1969, 1.
March 1969
"Deprem Bölgesinde korkudan açıkta yatanlar hastalandı." Cumhuriyet, March 31, 1969, 1.
Çetİnkaya, Hikmet. "DEPREM DEVAM EDİYOR." Cumhuriyet, March 30, 1969, 1.
"Deprem." Cumhuriyet, March 30, 1969, 7.
"Ege’de deprem; 53 kişi öldü." Cumhuriyet, March 29, 1969, 1.