A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 rocked Istanbul on Wednesday, according to Turkey’s AFAD disaster agency, marking one of the most significant seismic events in the city of 16 million.
There were no immediate reports of any damage; however, the earthquake prompted evacuations from buildings across the city, which straddles the European and Asian sides of the Bosphorus Strait.
In the aftermath, many residents congregated in parks, while others sat on their doorsteps or remained outside their homes in central Istanbul, feeling ongoing aftershocks. Some stores on the European side shut their doors following the tremor.
The earthquake, originating near Silivri, about 80 km west of Istanbul, struck at 12:49 (09:49 GMT) at a depth of 6.92 km, as reported by AFAD.
Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu confirmed that preliminary assessments showed no damage or complications affecting highways, airports, railways, or subway systems.
According to broadcaster TGRT, the earthquake, which coincided with a public holiday in Turkey, resulted in one injury due to someone jumping from a balcony.
The office of the Istanbul governor announced that there were no collapses of buildings and urged the public to stay calm and steer clear of potentially damaged structures.
President Tayyip Erdogan, communicating via X, noted that he was keeping close tabs on the situation and disseminated guidelines for handling potential subsequent earthquakes.
Two years earlier, Turkey experienced its most catastrophic earthquake in modern history—a 7.8-magnitude quake in February 2023 that claimed over 55,000 lives and injured more than 107,000 across southern Turkey and northern Syria.
This earthquake has left hundreds of thousands still displaced, with many living in makeshift accommodations due to the devastation.
Memories of a 1999 earthquake near Istanbul, which resulted in 17,000 deaths, were rekindled by this latest tremor.
The German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) adjusted the magnitude of the recent earthquake to 6.02 and reported a depth of 10 km.
