Istanbul rocked by 6.2 quake: Residents urged to stay safe
Istanbul, Turkey, was struck by an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 on Wednesday. Aftershocks and an earlier quake with a magnitude of 4.9 further heightened safety concerns. Authorities are monitoring the situation, and residents are warned against entering damaged buildings. The tremors were recorded during a live TV broadcast, among other instances.
What you need to know?
- Main earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 occurred on Wednesday in Istanbul, with the epicentre in the Sea of Marmara. The tremors were felt at 10:49 AM Greenwich Time.
- Aftershocks reached a magnitude of 4.9, and a previous quake with a magnitude of 3.9 occurred less than an hour before the main shock.
- Authorities urge caution, recommending avoiding damaged buildings and limiting the use of public transportation.
The Turkish Interior Minister, Ali Yerlikaya, mentioned that all appropriate teams and institutions have already started fieldwork. He added that the quake was also felt in neighbouring provinces.
The Istanbul city authorities assured that no significant damage was recorded, and the Transport Minister, Abdulkadir Uraloglu, confirmed no damage to highways, airports, trains, or the metro.
So far, there are no reports of potential earthquake casualties. The Governor's office of Istanbul province has urged residents to avoid entering damaged buildings and refrain from driving cars or using public transportation.
Dangerous in Istanbul: The ground shook
The residents of Istanbul have left their homes and other buildings en masse, as seen in recordings posted on social media.
The city has been preparing for the risk of a strong earthquake for years due to high seismic activity in this part of Turkey. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan assured that the authorities are "closely monitoring the situation".
