Turkey: Istanbul hit by 6.2 magnitude earthquake

A 6.2 magnitude earthquake has struck the city of Istanbul, with Turkish media reporting emergency teams being dispatched across the province.

"All our emergency services are on alert. No buildings have collapsed according to the information we have at this stage. We are continuing the search," the Istanbul governorate said, urging citizens "not to approach damaged buildings."

Istanbul Governor Davut Gul added, however, there had been 151 citizens injured as a result of "panic-induced jumps from heights."

According to the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD), the earthquake, which occurred at a depth of 6.92km, was recorded off the coast of Silivri municipality.

Istanbul residents, many of whom fled to the streets in case buildings collapse, are still reeling.

Student Ali Beraa told Middle East Eye he was was working on a university project with his friend at home when the quake hit. 

"When the sofa began to shake, it took us two seconds to realise what was going on. Without saying anything to each other we immediately stepped outside and saw people were also out in the streets," he said.

"I tried calling my family and friend but it took us five minutes to make calls because it seemed the network was jammed. Thankfully we reach them in the end and everyone was fine. We’re now staying in the street, following instructions until we have the clear."

Local media said passengers and employees at Istanbul Airport fled for open air, while employees of hotels and workplaces in Taksim Square gathered in the square. Others gathered in parks.

AFAD called on people to avoid damaged buildings and to stick to SMS and messaging apps for communication.

Turkey is still recovering from a series of devastating earthquakes in 2023 that left more than 55,000 people dead.

Controversy has continued over building safety and the deregulation of housing, which was blamed by many for the high death toll.

"I was at work in a meeting and all of a sudden things began to shake. I was confused and couldn’t understand what was going on," Ahmad Hashem, a resident of Basaksehir district, told MEE.

"Once I realised it was an earthquake, the first thing I thought of was my family, my wife and children. They are in an apartment in a high-rise building and I was worried for them. Thank God they’re all safe."