6.2 magnitude earthquake causes panic in Turkey's largest city
On Wednesday, Istanbul, Turkey's largest city was hit by a 6.2 magnitude earthquake that was followed by a series of aftershocks.
According to The Associated Press, the epicenter of the quake was about 25 miles southwest of Istanbul in the Sea of Marmara. The initial earthquake occurred at 12:49 p.m. local time and lasted about 13 seconds.
It was followed by over 50 aftershocks, the largest of which had a magnitude of 5.9, per BBC.
No deaths or serious damage have been reported but 151 people were hospitalized with injuries.
'Due to panic, 151 of our citizens were injured from jumping from heights,' the Istanbul governor's office said in a statement, per the AP. 'Their treatments are ongoing in hospitals, and they are not in life-threatening condition.'
According to CNN, Turkey is in the vicinity of two major fault lines — the North Anatolian and the East Anatolian — making it one of the most seismically active regions in the world.
The earthquake occurred during a public holiday when kids were out of school and many people in the city were celebrating in the streets of Istanbul. The quake caused people to panic and rush from their homes and buildings and into the streets.
Many people fled to parks and other open areas avoiding being near buildings in case of collapse, there are some people who have pitched tents in parks to spend the night in, according to the AP.
The quake was felt in the neighboring provinces of Yalova, Balikesir, Tekirdag and Bursa, and in the city of Izmir which is around 340 miles south of Istanbul.
'Thank God, there does not seem to be any problems for now,' President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, per the AP. 'May God protect our country and our people from all kinds of calamities, disasters, accidents and troubles.'
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