Many residents of Istanbul spent the night outside, too fearful to return to their homes after a powerful earthquake and over 180 aftershocks rattled the city. The magnitude 6.2 quake struck on Wednesday afternoon, deeply affecting the 16-million-strong city. While no major damage was reported, the tremor — the strongest in Istanbul in recent years — caused widespread panic and left many residents injured.
The earthquake, which had a shallow depth of 10 kilometers (about 6 miles), occurred about 40 kilometers (25 miles) southwest of Istanbul in the Sea of Marmara. It was felt in several nearby provinces as well. At least 236 people required medical attention, mostly for injuries sustained while jumping from buildings or suffering panic attacks. Most of the injuries were reported in Istanbul, which remains on edge due to its high risk of a major earthquake.
In the aftermath, many people sought shelter in cars, tents, and open spaces like parks, using campfires to keep warm as the temperature dropped. Over 100,000 people spent the night in mosques, schools, government-run community centers, and dormitories, as confirmed by Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya.
“We were so scared of the earthquake. We couldn’t go back inside,” said Emriye Toklu, who camped out with her family in a park near their home. “We’ll probably stay here for a while, as my children and grandchildren won’t go back inside even though our home is nearby.”
Turkey, which lies across two major fault lines, is no stranger to earthquakes. Many residents still carry the trauma of a devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck southern and southeastern provinces in February 2023, killing more than 53,000 people and leaving hundreds of thousands of buildings destroyed or damaged. Another 6,000 people lost their lives in neighboring Syria.
The Turkish disaster management agency, AFAD, reported that Wednesday’s earthquake was followed by 184 aftershocks, seven of which had a magnitude of 4 or higher. Environment and Urbanization Minister Murat Kurum also mentioned that 378 reports of structural damage had been received. At least 12 buildings had been evacuated as a precaution, with one building — an abandoned structure in the Fatih district — collapsing.
Germany’s GFZ seismological research institute noted that the earthquake was the strongest in the region in over 25 years and extended the fault zone toward Istanbul. The institute warned that the area beneath the Sea of Marmara, south of Istanbul, is overdue for a potentially stronger earthquake, possibly with a magnitude up to 7.4, as it has not experienced a major tremor in over 250 years.
