A strong earthquake rattled Istanbul, prompting an immediate reaction from residents and emergency services as the city prepares for potential aftershocks.
Powerful Earthquake Hits Istanbul: Residents Flee to Streets
Powerful Earthquake Hits Istanbul: Residents Flee to Streets
Magnitude 6.2 quake jolts Turkey's populous city; emergency services assess the scene.
On Wednesday, Istanbul experienced a significant earthquake, registering a magnitude of 6.2, which led residents of Turkey's largest city to evacuate their buildings, gathering outdoors in alarm. The quake struck at 7:35 a.m. local time, with initial reports from Turkey's emergency services indicating that no casualties or major damage had been reported across the city of approximately 16 million people.
The U.S. Geological Survey estimated the quake's depth at about six miles, finding its epicenter roughly 25 miles southwest of Istanbul in the Sea of Marmara. The tremor was detected as far away as Bursa, located 40 miles from the city, and even felt in Izmir, a coastal city nearly 300 miles away.
Turkey is no stranger to seismic activity, lying across major fault lines that make it vulnerable to earthquakes. The memories of the 2023 disaster, where a 7.8-magnitude quake killed over 50,000 in Turkey and another 6,000 across its neighbor Syria, remain vivid in the minds of citizens as they brace for potential repercussions from this recent quake.
As emergency services continue to assess the impact, the nation remains watchful for any continuing geological activity in the region.
