A series of earthquakes shook Istanbul on Wednesday, forcing residents to flee buildings as Turkish authorities urged people to stay outdoors.
The strongest quake, measuring 6.2 in magnitude, struck the Marmara Sea about 13 miles off Turkey’s coast at 12:49 p.m. local time (5:49 a.m. ET), according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
At least three aftershocks followed, ranging between magnitudes 4 and 5, all near the vital Bosphorus Strait, the USGS reported.
Tremors were felt as far as Bucharest, Romania, and Sofia, Bulgaria—both nearly 300 miles away—according to the USGS “Did You Feel It?” map.
Despite the intensity, no damage has been reported to highways, airports, trains, or subways, said Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu via X.
However, at least 151 people were injured—many after jumping from heights in panic, officials confirmed.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya noted that field assessments have now begun, led by Turkey’s disaster agency, AFAD.
Turkey sits on a major fault line at the intersection of the Eurasian, Arabian, and African plates, making it prone to earthquakes. In February 2023, a 7.8-magnitude quake killed around 60,000 people in Turkey and Syria, followed by over 500 aftershocks.
