Powerful earthquake of 6.2 magnitude shakes in Istanbul

A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 shook Istanbul on Wednesday, Turkey's AFAD disaster agency said, one of the strongest quakes to strike the city of 16 million in recent years.

There were no immediate reports of damage, but people evacuated buildings as the quake hit and shook the city, located on the European and Asian shores of the Bosphorus Strait.

Many people gathered in parks and others sat on doorsteps, or stood outside their homes in the centre of Istanbul, as aftershocks continued to be felt. Some shops closed after the quake struck on the European side of the city.

The epicentre of the quake, which hit at 12:49 (0949 GMT), was in the area of Silivri, some 80 km to the west of Istanbul. It was at a depth of 6.92 km, AFAD said.

Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said initial inspections did not reveal any damage or adverse conditions on highways, airports, trains or subways.

Broadcaster TGRT reported that one person had been injured as a result of jumping off a balcony during the quake, which occurred during a public holiday in Turkey.

The Istanbul governor's office said there had not been any reports of buildings collapsing and it called on people to remain calm and not approach buildings that may be damaged.

President Tayyip Erdogan said on X he was monitoring the situation and his office issued advice on what people should do in the case of further quakes.

Two years ago Turkey suffered the deadliest and most destructive earthquake in its modern history. That 7.8-magnitude quake in February 2023 killed more than 55,000 people and injured more than 107,000 in southern Turkey and northern Syria. Hundreds of thousands of people remain displaced, with many still living in temporary housing as a result of that quake.

The latest tremor also revived memories of a 1999 earthquake near Istanbul that killed 17,000.

The German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) said the latest earthquake had a magnitude 6.02. It was at a depth of 10 km, GFZ said.