A 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck beneath the Sea of Marmara near Istanbul on Wednesday, causing widespread panic and injuring 151 people who jumped from buildings, according to the Istanbul governor's office. The quake, which occurred at a shallow depth of about 10 km, had its epicentre approximately 40 km south-west of Istanbul.
The interior minister, Ali Yerlikaya, said the tremor lasted 13 seconds and was followed by more than 50 aftershocks, the strongest measuring 5.9 magnitude. The earthquake was felt in several neighbouring provinces and as far as İzmir, 550 km to the south. No major damage or collapsed buildings were reported, though some structural damage was noted.
Panicked residents rushed into the streets, with many flocking to parks and open areas. The Istanbul governor's office confirmed that the injured were being treated in hospitals and were not in life-threatening condition. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated at a public event that there appeared to be no serious problems, adding, 'May God protect our country and our people from all kinds of calamities.'
Eyewitness Leyla Ucar, a personal trainer, described intense shaking while on the 20th floor of a building. 'It threw us around,' she said. Another resident, Senol Sari, fled with his children to a nearby park, expressing ongoing concerns about a potential larger quake. Turkey, which lies on two major faultlines, experienced a devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake in February 2023 that killed over 53,000 people.
