A powerful 6.2-magnitude earthquake shook the Sea of Marmara near Istanbul on Wednesday, sending tremors rippling through Turkey’s largest city and prompting panicked residents to rush outdoors.
According to the country’s disaster management authority, AFAD, the quake was followed by no fewer than eight aftershocks. Fortunately, officials reported no immediate casualties or significant damage.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed the seismic event in a post on X, stating, “An earthquake of 6.2 magnitude occurred in Silivri, Sea of Marmara, Istanbul.”
He noted that the tremor was also felt in neighbouring provinces.
AFAD reported that the quake hit at 12:49 p.m. local time (0949 GMT) and occurred 6.92 kilometers beneath the seabed south of Istanbul. The aftershocks ranged in magnitude from 3.5 to 5.9.
As the earth shook, many fled buildings in a panic. Onlookers crowded the streets, eyes glued to their phones for information or frantically dialing loved ones, an AFP reporter observed.
“I just felt the earthquake, I’ve got to get out,” said a decorator who was working on the fourth floor of an apartment near the Galata Tower. He appeared visibly shaken and declined to share his name.
State-run Anadolu Agency aired footage showing a mosque’s minaret in Beylikduzu district swaying from the initial shockwave.
Despite the intense shaking, Interior Minister Yerlikaya told TRT public television that there were no reports of structural collapse in the city of over 16 million residents.
“Until now, nobody has called the emergency line to report their house collapsing,” he said. Still, the governor’s office urged residents to stay away from any visibly damaged buildings.
NTV television did broadcast images of a three-storey building that collapsed in Fatih district, near the historic city center. The structure, however, was reportedly uninhabited and had been deserted for ten years.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that he was closely monitoring the situation. “We all panicked and just ran. There’s absolutely nothing else we can do,” said Yusuf, a local vendor.
The quake’s reach extended beyond Turkey’s borders, with tremors felt in Bulgaria, including in its capital Sofia, according to AFP reporters there.
The epicenter, Silivri, lies on the western edge of Istanbul and is known for its prison facility, which currently houses Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, detained amid a corruption case that critics describe as politically charged.
The same facility also holds several students arrested during protests against Imamoglu’s detention. The Parents Solidarity Network, in an update on X, assured the public that all detainees were unharmed.
“The earthquake in Istanbul was most strongly felt in Silivri, but our children are fine. There is no problem at the prison, no parent should worry,” the group wrote.
The last time Istanbul experienced a significant tremor was in mid-November. It caused brief alarm but resulted in no reported injuries or damage.
Experts, both Turkish and international, have long warned that Istanbul’s proximity to the North Anatolian fault, less than 20 kilometers away, makes it susceptible to a devastating earthquake in the near future.
The region suffered one of its deadliest disasters in 1999, when twin quakes claimed nearly 20,000 lives across northwest Turkey, including parts of Istanbul.
