6.2 magnitude earthquake rocks Istanbul

[ad_1] A sequence of earthquakes together with a 6.2-magnitude tremor have struck close to Istanbul, shaking buildings in Turkey's largest metropolis and prompting individuals to flee house blocks.

There have been no instant experiences of casualties or wider harm, however Istanbul officers mentioned they had been checking buildings and warned individuals to remain away from potentially-damaged websites.

The biggest earthquake on Wednesday struck at 12:49 native time (09:49 GMT) at a depth of 6.92 km (4.3 miles), Turkey's emergency companies mentioned.

The epicentre of the 6.2-magnitude tremor was situated alongside the coast of the Sea of Marmara, within the Silivri space about 80 km (50 miles) west of Istanbul.

Turkish officers reported two different smaller quakes, whereas aftershocks had been additionally recorded.

Istanbul residents reported larger earthquake was one of many strongest that they had felt in years.

Individuals reported lamps and different furnishings crashing to the ground of their properties.

Selva Demiralp, an economics professor at Koç College, informed the BBC she was along with her household in a high-rise when the earthquake struck and it was "fairly scary".

"By some means, within the midst of the earthquake, we felt a deep sense of consolation—as a result of the entire household was collectively," she mentioned.

"We're protected, it appears to be like there was no harm in buildings," she mentioned. However she added that folks had been nervous about whether or not the quake "was a foreshock itself" and the "actual one is on its manner".

Southern Turkey was devastated by two big earthquakes in 2023, which claimed greater than 55,000 lives.

Istanbul is Turkey's most populous metropolis and residential to 16 million individuals - a fifth of the nation's residents. Town lies simply 20km to the north of the North Anatolian Fault Line.