A strong earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale shook Istanbul on Wednesday, accompanied by several aftershocks reaching 5 on the Richter scale, spreading fear among residents of the Turkish metropolis and neighbouring cities, where the earthquake was also felt strongly. No further details on possible damage or casualties are available at this time.
Turkish media reported that the earthquake struck at 12:49 Turkish time (11:49 CET) in the Sea of Marmara off the coast of the Istanbul district of Silivri, west of the city. The main tremor reached a magnitude of 6.2 and occurred at a depth of 6.92 kilometres below the earth’s surface, and was felt very strongly in Istanbul but also in nearby provinces.
The Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD) reported that at least two other aftershocks had initially occurred in quick succession at 1:01 p.m. local time (12:01 p.m. CET) reaching a magnitude of 4.5 and 5, according to data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The shallow depth at which the earthquakes occurred accentuated their effects throughout the region.
Moments of panic at Istanbul Airport and Hagia Sophia
Thousands of people left their homes, offices and other buildings, alerted by the earthquakes, and ran to gather in open spaces such as parks, streets and squares, especially on the European side of Istanbul, which was the worst affected.
In the district of Bağcılar, not far from Silivri, citizens flocked to the National Gardens for fear of further aftershocks, while in the Bebek neighbourhood of the Beşiktaş district, customers in shops and cafés ran out into open spaces in the street when they felt the tremors. There were also moments of panic at Istanbul Airport and in central areas such as Taksim Square, and also among the tourists visiting Hagia Sophia.
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced that all available teams are assessing the situation on the ground. For his part, Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan called for calm: ‘We are monitoring the situation closely. I hope our citizens are well,’ he said.
Authorities issue warnings to the population after the earthquake
The AFAD agency, citing data from the Kandilli seismological observatory in Istanbul, confirmed that there had been at least five aftershocks in addition to the main earthquake, and alerted citizens on several precautions to take after the earthquake in a message posted on social media: ‘Never enter a damaged building after an earthquake, avoid approaching damaged buildings, communicate via text messages (SMS) and messaging apps, and follow the warnings of the authorities.’
Emergency services are still working with AFAD and other agencies to assess the possible damage and whether there have been any casualties. Istanbul, Europe’s most populous city with 16 million inhabitants, has suffered several earthquakes in recent years, the most serious of which occurred in 2019, reaching a magnitude of 5.8 and leaving 34 people injured and 473 buildings damaged. However, scientists have been warning for some time that the city will suffer a ‘Big One’ with an intensity of over 7 before the end of this century, which could destroy thousands of buildings if measures are not taken in time.
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Edited and reviewed by:
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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