A strong 6.2 magnitude earthquake shook the Sea of Marmara at 12:49 PM local time (09:49 GMT), affecting Istanbul and surrounding provinces, causing instant evacuations and widespread anxiety.

The quakes were off the coast of Silivri, in the Buyukcekmece district, a heavily populated region along the Marmara Sea.

The Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) confirmed a series of earthquakes within minutes, all occurring along the North Anatolian Fault, one of the region’s most active and dangerous fault lines. The German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) also recorded the quake at a depth of 10 km (6.21 miles).

Witnesses throughout Istanbul, a population of close to 16 million people, experienced firm and extensive shaking. Balconies vibrated, buildings creaked, and immediate evacuations occurred. The sounds of emergency sirens permeated the city while citizens raced out of homes due to anticipation of aftershocks.

With field assessments underway, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya urged residents to stay calm and avoid re-entering damaged buildings. “This is a critical time. Only use your phones and vehicles if absolutely necessary,” he said during a live broadcast on TGRT.

Although the scale, no reports of injuries or significant damage to buildings have been verified so far. Still, officials warn that aftershocks are expected and that buildings, particularly older structures, are still vulnerable to collapse.

The earthquake has brought back into focus issues of urban reconstruction, strengthening buildings, and seismic risk management in Istanbul, where the European and Asian continents converge at the Bosphorus Strait.

This accident happens just more than two years since the catastrophic 2023 earthquakes that claimed more than 55,000 lives in southern Türkiye and Syria, which revealed the vulnerable infrastructure and imperative of improved disaster preparedness.

As the city recovers from tremors today, emergency crews remain deployed, making door-to-door checks for damage and helping residents. With a public holiday being held in areas of the country, officials are hoping the lighter traffic assists in accelerating emergency efforts.