Turkey’s Istanbul shaken by 6.2 magnitude earthquake, over 200 injured

ANKARA — 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 200 people are being treated at nearby hospitals for non-life-threatening injuries, Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu said.

No one died in the earthquake and the injuries occurred due to panic during the quake as people jumped out of windows or fell, Memisoglu added.

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 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 total of 127 aftershocks followed the initial tremor, including one with a magnitude of 5.9, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said.

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.”

As the day grew colder and darker, some of those waiting in parks returned to their homes while others remained outside. Sports stadiums, soccer fields, and mosques will remain open for citizens who do not want to spend the night at home, Turkish officials said.

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.

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.

Patients at some hospitals in Istanbul who were evacuated as a precaution were taken back inside on Wednesday evening.

The earthquake struck during an official holiday, celebrated as Children’s Day on the anniversary of the establishment of Turkey’s Parliament in 1920.

Local authorities in Istanbul said schools will remain closed in Istanbul until next week.

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.

This developing story has been updated since initial publication.