Earthquake Panic Grips Istanbul As Powerful Tremors Shake The City

A powerful series of earthquakes rocked Istanbul on Wednesday, sending terrified residents fleeing into the streets and prompting urgent warnings from Turkish authorities to stay outdoors.

The strongest quake registered a magnitude of 6.2, striking the Marmara Sea just 13 miles off the Turkish coast at 12:49 p.m. local time (5:49 a.m. ET), according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

At least three significant aftershocks followed—ranging between magnitudes 4 and 5—rattling the region near the strategically important Bosphorus Strait, a key economic and maritime corridor.

The tremors were so intense they were felt as far as Bucharest, Romania, and Sofia, Bulgaria—nearly 300 miles away—according to the USGS’s “Did You Feel It?” map.

Despite the strength of the quakes, Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu reported that there was no visible damage to Turkey’s highways, airports, railways, or subway systems.

However, the panic triggered dangerous reactions. At least 151 people were hospitalized after jumping from buildings or high places in fear, officials confirmed.

Turkey’s disaster response agency, AFAD, has launched field assessments, and Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya assured the public that comprehensive scans are now underway to check for hidden damage.

Turkey sits on one of the world’s most active seismic zones, at the intersection of the Eurasian, Arabian, and African tectonic plates. The country still bears deep scars from the devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake in February 2023, which killed around 60,000 people and unleashed more than 500 aftershocks across Turkey and neighboring Syria within 24 hours.

Wednesday’s quake is a stark reminder of Turkey’s seismic vulnerability—and the urgent need for continued preparedness.