A powerful earthquake measuring 6.2 struck Istanbul, Turkey’s largest metropolis and financial center, on Wednesday, sending shockwaves through the city of more than 15 million people and prompting widespread panic.
More than 150 people who jumped from windows during the earthquake are being treated at nearby hospitals for non-life-threatening injuries, according to the Istanbul governor’s office.
“Due to panic, 151 of our citizens who were injured by jumping from heights are receiving treatment in hospitals, and their lives are not in danger,” a statement from the office read.
Turkish officials urged citizens to avoid entering damaged buildings.
Turkey’s disaster management agency, AFAD, reported that the epicenter of the quake, which struck the province at 12:50 p.m. local Turkey time, was located in the Marmara Sea, about 4.2 miles beneath the surface.
The earthquake was strong enough to be felt in provinces up to 300 miles away.
A series of aftershocks followed the initial tremor, including one with a magnitude of 4.9, according to AFAD.
Thousands of people evacuated their buildings and gathered in nearby parks, TV footage showed.
"Do not enter damaged structures after the earthquake under any circumstances,” AFAD posted on its X account. “Stay away from the surroundings of risky buildings."
After the tremor, Turkish authorities asked citizens not to use their phones unless it was an emergency to avoid overloading the network and to use the internet instead.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced that damage assessment efforts had begun. As of this writing, no casualties had been reported.
Later Wednesday, the Istanbul Governor’s Office announced that there was no collapse in residential buildings within the province.
A resident of Kurtulus, a neighborhood in Istanbul’s densely populated Sisli district, said residents were still too frightened to return to their homes about an hour after the quake.
"Many are considering spending the night outdoors due to safety concerns," the resident told Al-Monitor after the tremor.
Yerlikaya said that preparations were ready to accommodate citizens who wish to spend the night outside. He didn't provide further details.
Patients at some hospitals in Istanbul were evacuated as a precaution.
The earthquake struck during an official holiday, celebrated as Children’s Day on the anniversary of the establishment of Turkey's Parliament in 1920.
Situated on a series of fault lines, Turkey frequently experiences deadly earthquakes. Most recently, more than 50,000 people were killed in the twin earthquakes, both measuring over magnitude 7, that struck southeastern Turkey on Feb. 6, 2023, affecting 11 provinces.
Source : Al Monitor
BDST: 1915 HRS, April 23, 2025
MSK
