A magnitude 5 earthquake struck the Turkish city of Istanbul and several nearby provinces at 14:55 local time (13:55 CET) on Wednesday, the Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD) said. The epicentre of the quake was located in the Sea of Marmara off the coast of Tekirdağ province in northwestern Turkey, at a depth of only 6.7 kilometres beneath the earth’s crust, which contributed to its effects being felt more intensely.
The governor of Istanbul, Davut Gül, confirmed that the quake occurred off the coast of the town of Marmaraereğlisi, located on the Sea of Marmara right on the border between the provinces of Istanbul and Tekirdağ. Despite the relative intensity of the quake, no damage or casualties have been reported so far. Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced that all teams from AFAD and other relevant institutions have begun on-site inspections to detect possible damage, according to public broadcaster TRT.
The earthquake caused concern among many residents of Istanbul, where in districts such as Silivri, Avcılar, Gaziosmanpaşa or Kartal students were evacuated to school playgrounds under the supervision of their teachers, while many parents came to pick up their children and waited anxiously at the entrance of schools. Authorities are urging the public to remain alert to possible aftershocks and to follow the safety measures recommended by the relevant agencies.
Experts attribute the new quake to the rupture of one of the many secondary faults running through the Sea of Marmara, a region that includes Istanbul and is Turkey’s most populous. The renowned geologist Naci Görür said the quake was triggered by an active tectonic fault line linked to the North Anatolian Fault: “Prepare Istanbul for an earthquake,” he warned in a message posted on social media in the last few hours.
On 23 April, Istanbul was already hit by a powerful earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale which, with its epicentre in the Silivri district, left more than 150 people injured. The quake caused panic in Istanbul and forced more than 100,000 people to sleep outside their homes for fear of continuous aftershocks, even destroying part of the city’s historic walls. Scientists have been warning for years that a ‘Big One’ – an earthquake of magnitude 7 or higher on the Richter scale – will occur within the next few decades and could have devastating consequences for the city if no action is taken.
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Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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