A 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck Istanbul, Turkey, on Wednesday at 12:49 [09:49 GMT], causing buildings to shake and sending residents into the streets.
The quake, centered in the Marmara Sea off the coast of Istanbul’s Silivri area, occurred at a depth of 10km (6.21 miles), according to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ).
Turkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Authority (AFAD) reported three aftershocks with magnitudes ranging from 4.4 to 4.9.
The tremors, felt as far away as Bulgaria, prompted immediate evacuations across Istanbul.
Crowds gathered in streets, parks, and open areas like Taksim Square, with many checking mobile phones for updates or struggling to make calls due to network congestion.
“I just felt earthquake, I’ve got to get out,” said a decorator, who declined to give his name, as he rushed out of a fourth-floor apartment near Galata Tower.
Local media reported chaotic scenes at Istanbul Airport, where passengers and employees fled to open spaces.
One injury was reported by broadcaster TGRT, with an individual harmed after jumping from a balcony during the quake, which coincided with a public holiday.
Student Ali Beraa described the sudden onset of the quake while working at home: “When the sofa began to shake, it took us two seconds to realise what was going on. Without saying anything to each other we immediately stepped outside and saw people were also out in the streets.”
He noted difficulties contacting family due to jammed networks but confirmed their safety.
Ahmad Hashem, a resident of Basaksehir, recalled the confusion at his workplace: “I was at work in a meeting and all of a sudden things began to shake. I was confused and couldn’t understand what was going on.”
Turkiye’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced that emergency teams had begun “field assessments” and extended well wishes to those affected.
The Istanbul governorate reported no collapsed buildings but urged citizens to avoid damaged structures. The governorate stated:
All our emergency services are on alert. No buildings have collapsed according to the information we have at this stage. We are continuing the searchThe Istanbul governorate.
AFAD echoed these warnings, advising residents to steer clear of potentially unsafe buildings and to use SMS or messaging apps to ease network strain.
Kemal Cebi, mayor of Kucukcekmece district, told NTV that no “negative developments” had been reported, though he noted traffic jams and concerns about the area’s dense, at-risk buildings.
The quake rekindled fears stemming from a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake in February 2023, which killed over 53,000 people in southern Turkey and 6,000 in Syria.
Though Istanbul was spared in that disaster, its proximity to fault lines has heightened public anxiety. Ongoing urban reconstruction projects aim to fortify vulnerable buildings, but controversies over building safety and housing deregulation persist, fueled by the 2023 tragedy.
As emergency teams continue assessments, Istanbul remains on alert, with residents awaiting further updates while grappling with the region’s seismic risks.