Hundreds injured after magnitude 6.2 earthquake strikes near Istanbul
An earthquake preliminarily measured at magnitude 6.2 shook Istanbul and other neighbouring cities and provinces in northwestern Turkey on Wednesday. There were no reports of fatalities or serious damage according to Turkish officials.
At least 236 people were injured and are being treated for their wounds. Officials say most of the injuries were a result of panic attacks and trying to jump from buildings.
Istanbul is considered a high risk city for a major earthquake, experts warn the city has a 64% of experiencing an at least magnitude 7 earthquake by the year 2030.
Wednesday's tremor had a shallow depth of 10 kilometres according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). The epicentre is the Sea of Marmara, about 40 kilometres southwest of the most populous Turkish city.
It was felt in the neighbouring provinces of Tekirdag, Yalova, Bursa and Balikesir and in the coastal city of Izmir, some 550 kilometres south of Istanbul.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the earthquake lasted approximately 13 seconds and was followed by more than 100 aftershocks, with the strongest measuring in at magnitude 5.9.
The quake started at 12:49 pm local time on Wednesday during a public holiday, when many children were out of school and celebrating in the streets of Istanbul. Panicked residents rushed from their homes and buildings into the streets.
'We were having breakfast. At first, we felt a small earthquake. Later, when we went to the sink to freshen up, I saw the shaking,' said an Istanbul resident speaking to Euronews.
Authorities urged civilians to avoid entering buildings that might have been damaged and said sports halls and mosques would be open to house residents not wanting to spend the night in their homes. Officials also urged the public to remain outdoors as aftershocks were anticipated.
'We're lucky enough to live in an apartment built on a foundation. It's safe there too. But we decided to wait a little longer. When we feel safe, we'll go home too, God willing,' said another Istanbulite.
Authorities had received 378 reports of 'structural damage' in various buildings, said Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum, adding that 12 buildings were evacuated as a precaution.
Only one building — a derelict, long-abandoned structure in the city's historic Fatih district — had collapsed, officials said.
"Thank God, there does not seem to be any problems for now," President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at an event marking the National Sovereignty and Children's Day holiday.
"May God protect our country and our people from all kinds of calamities, disasters, accidents and troubles,' added Erdogan.
Turkey is crossed by two major fault lines, and earthquakes are frequent.
ADVERTISEMENT
A magnitude 7.8 earthquake on Feb. 6, 2023, and a second powerful tremor hours later, killed more than 53,000 people in Turkey and destroyed or damaged hundreds of thousands of buildings in 11 southern and southeastern provinces. Another 6,000 people were killed in the northern parts of neighbouring Syria.
In a bid to prevent damage from any future quake, the national government and local administrations started urban reconstruction projects to fortify buildings at risk and launched campaigns to demolish those at risk of collapse.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
LeMonde
10-08-2025
- LeMonde
6.1-magnitude quake hits western Turkey
A 6.1-magnitude quake struck Sindirgi in western Turkey on Sunday, August 10, the Turkish disaster management agency (AFAD) reported. The earthquake was felt across several cities in western Turkey, including Istanbul and the tourist hotspot of Izmir. No deaths were reported. About 10 buildings collapsed in Sindirgi, the epicentre of the earthquake, including a three-storey building in the city center, Mayor Serkan Sak announced on Turkish private channel NTV. "Six people lived in this three-storey building. Four were rescued from the rubble," he said, adding that efforts to extract the other two were underway. "Buildings and mosques were destroyed, but we have no reports of loss of life." The earthquake hit at 7:53 pm (1653 GMT), with aftershocks ranging from 3.5 to 4.6 magnitude, according to AFAD. Turkey is crisscrossed by several geological fault lines, which have previously caused catastrophes in the country. An earthquake in February 2023 in the southwest killed at least 53,000 people and devastated Antakya, site of the ancient city of Antioch. At the beginning of July, a 5.8-magnitude tremor in the same region resulted in one death and injured 69 people.
LeMonde
31-07-2025
- LeMonde
Across the Pacific, fear of a major tsunami gives way to relief
One by one, tsunami warnings were lifted throughout the day on Wednesday, July 30, in most of the many countries bordering the Pacific Ocean. These alarm systems were triggered after the 8.8-magnitude earthquake recorded at 11:24 pm GMT on July 30 by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) in the Kamchatka region of Russia's Far East. This earthquake, the most powerful to hit the region in 73 years, sharply heightened fears that some 15 countries could be overwhelmed by tsunamis, including one of the five archipelagos of French Polynesia, the Marquesas Islands. These islands spent anxious hours fearing the worst during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday. Waves of 2.5 meters were initially forecast, then 4 meters. In the end, those that reached the large northern island of Nuku Hiva and, to a lesser extent, Ua Huka to the east and Hiva Oa to the south, were 1.5 meters high. Only three islands out of the 118 that make up French Polynesia, including the atolls, were affected by the alert; the others experienced only very modest waves. Smartphone notifications Anny Pietri, the French government's representative in the archipelago, expressed relief that there were neither casualties nor damage after hours of communication with the crisis center set up at the High Commission of the Republic in French Polynesia in Papeete, on the island of Tahiti, 1,500 kilometers from Nuku Hiva.
Euronews
30-07-2025
- Euronews
Massive 8.8 earthquake in eastern Russia triggers tsunami warnings
One of the strongest earthquakes on record struck Russia's Far East early Wednesday, causing tsunami waves in Japan and Alaska and warnings to be issued in Hawaii, North and Central America and Pacific islands. Damage was reported and evacuations were issued in Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, the quake's epicentre. A tsunami of up to 4 metres was reported in parts of the region, the regional minister for emergency situation Sergei Lebedev said. The quake caused damage to buildings and cars swayed in the streets in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, which also had power outages and mobile phone service failures. Russian news agencies quoting the regional Health Ministry said several people sought medical help in Kamchatka after the earthquake, but no serious injuries were reported. People were advised to move to higher ground around much of the Pacific coast. They were warned that the potential danger posed by a tsunami could last over a day. Most places where tsunami waves have already hit have reported no significant damage so far. The quake had a preliminary magnitude of 8.0, according to US and Japanese seismologists. However, the US Geological Survey later updated its measurement to 8.8 magnitude and said it occurred at a depth of 20.7km. Tsunami felt across the Pacific The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre warned that waves of 1 to 3 metres above the tidal level may occur in some coastal areas of Hawaii, Chile, Japan and the Solomon Islands. In some coastal areas of Russia and Ecuador, waves of more than 3 metres may occur. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning for the Pacific coast of Japan and stated that waves of up to 3 metres could reach the coast of northern Japan. "Urgent action must be taken to ensure the safety of life and property," the warning said. It was stated that the first waves were expected around 7 pm local time on Tuesday. The Alaska-based National Tsunami Warning Centre issued a tsunami warning for parts of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, while parts of the West Coast, including California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii, were also under caution. Tsunami warning coordinator Dave Snider with the National Tsunami Warning Centre in Alaska said the impact of the tsunami could last for hours or perhaps more than a day. 'A tsunami is not just one wave,' he said. 'It's a series of powerful waves over a long period of time. Tsunamis cross the ocean at hundreds of miles an hour - as fast as a jet airplane - in deep water. But when they get close to the shore, they slow down and start to pile up. And that's where that inundation problem becomes a little bit more possible there.' 'In this case, because of the Earth basically sending out these huge ripples of water across the ocean, they're going to be moving back and forth for quite a while,' which is why some communities may feel effects longer, he said. Among the world's strongest recorded quakes Wednesday's earthquake is one of the world's strongest since a 2011 9.0 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Japan sent a massive tsunami which set off meltdowns at a nuclear power plant. Only a few stronger earthquakes have ever been measures around the world. Japanese nuclear power plants have reported no abnormalities following the earthquake off of Russia. Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant said around 4,000 workers were taking shelter on higher ground at the plant complex while monitoring remotely to ensure safety. It was the strongest earthquake to hit the Kamchatka Peninsula since 1952, when a 9.0 quake caused damage but no reported deaths despite setting off 9.1 metre waves in Hawaii. In early July, five strong earthquakes occurred near Kamchatka, the strongest had a 7.4-magnitude. The largest earthquake was 20 kilometres deep and occurred 144 kilometres east of the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, which has a population of 180,000.
