Istanbul was rocked by a string of earthquakes on Wednesday, the strongest of which measured 6.2, Turkey’s emergency management agency said. The quakes sent people fleeing buildings in panic, although there were no reports of major structural damage.
The quake, which struck during a public holiday, prompted panic among citizens across the city that spans both the European and Asian sides of the Bosphorus. Social media platforms were flooded with videos showing people rushing to safety after the tremors were felt.
Take a look at some videos:
#VÎDEO – Li Stenbolê erdhejeke bi hêza 6,2 pileyan çêbû û bajarên li derdora Stenbolê jî hejiyan
🛑 Maleke li Zeytînburnuyê wiha diheje
#Erdhej #Istanbul #earthquake #Deprem pic.twitter.com/L6UvKJBWY4
— RudawKurdi (@RudawKurdi) April 23, 2025
After the earthquake in Istanbul, citizens took to the streets in panic. #Deprem pic.twitter.com/nCpZTHlmOR
— Weather Monitor (@WeatherMonitors) April 23, 2025
WILD FOOTAGE 🔴
The Sea of Marmara during the 6.2 magnitude earthquake in Istanbul, Turkey moments ago 🇹🇷 https://t.co/VlAZZOBARc pic.twitter.com/EoAj8UB5Ea
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) April 23, 2025
The earthquake, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), occurred at a shallow depth of only 10 km, with its epicentre roughly 40 km southwest of Istanbul in the Sea of Marmara.
In a post posted on X, ex-Twitter, Turkey’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said emergency teams had initiated “field inspections” and offered “best wishes to the victims.” The Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) also called on the public to avoid any collapsed buildings.
While the quake triggered widespread panic, injuries were few. TGRT, a local television station, said that one individual was injured after leaping from a balcony during the shaking.
This disaster occurs more than a year since a catastrophic earthquake on February 6, 2023, when a magnitude 7.8 earthquake and a subsequent intense shock hours later devastated 11 southern and southeastern Turkish provinces. That disaster killed more than 53,000 people in Turkey and another 6,000 in northern Syria, with hundreds of thousands of structures left damaged or destroyed.
