A significant earthquake accompanied by numerous aftershocks triggered widespread fear in Istanbul. The tremor occurred at midday when many were observing a public holiday.
Istanbul, Turkey’s capital, experienced a magnitude 6.2 earthquake on Wednesday, resulting in at least 151 individuals being injured.
The office of Istanbul’s governor said most of the injuries were a result of people trying to jump from buildings, adding that “their treatments are ongoing in hospitals, and they are not in life-threatening condition.”
According to the United States Geological Survey, the earthquake occurred at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers (about 6 miles).
What else do we know about the earthquake?
The earthquake’s hypocenter was situated roughly 40 kilometers southwest of Istanbul, within the Sea of Marmara, yet it was still intensely noticed in the capital city.
LinksToday.onlinecorrespondent Julia Hahn witnessed “shock and panic” among many Istanbul residents.
We observed individuals exiting structures and assembling outdoors. This reaction is quite comprehensible as Turkey is among the world’s
most earthquake-prone countries
,” Hahn added.
Istanbul experienced a strong earthquake in 1999 and again in 2023 when two huge tremors struck.
devastated large parts of southeastern Turkey
. This is on people’s minds,” Hahn added.
She stated, ‘This is the risk we endure in our city, unfortunately, this is just a facet of life here in Turkey.’
An earthquake struck during a public holiday.
Frightened inhabitants fled their houses and structures, heading out onto the roads and into the urban green spaces. Many were visibly stunned by the earthquake.
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the quake, which started at 12:49 pm local time (9:49 UTC/GMT), lasted some 13 seconds and was followed by more than 50 aftershocks.
The earthquake struck the city on National Sovereignty and Children’s Day, which is a public holiday.
When the earthquake struck, children had left their schools, and families were roaming the streets.
“Thank God, there does not seem to be any problems for now,” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during an event marking the holiday. “May God protect our country and our people from all kinds of calamities, disasters, accidents and troubles.”
The tremor was felt in the neighboring provinces of Tekirdag, Yalova, Bursa and Balikesir and in the city of Izmir, some 550 kilometers south of Istanbul.
Edited by: Rana Taha
Author: Jenipher Camino Gonzalez (with AFP, dpa, AP, Reuters), Julia Hahn (Istanbul)
