Amplitude 6.2 earthquake hit Istanbul and injured more than 150 people – Country
Initial earthquakes in Istanbul and elsewhere shocked 6.2 times on Wednesday, causing widespread panic and dozens of injuries in Turkish cities, although no serious damage was immediately reported.
Istanbul's governor's office said more than 150 people were hospitalized for injuries while trying to jump from the building, and residents there were on tenterhooks because the city was considered a high risk of a major earthquake.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the depth of the earthquake is 10 kilometers (about 6 miles) and its center is about 40 kilometers (25 miles) southwest of Istanbul, the Marmara Sea.
This is felt in the city of Izmir, about 550 kilometers (340 miles) south of Istanbul, and in the provinces of Izmir. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the earthquake lasted 13 seconds and then more than 50 aftershocks occurred, which was the strongest 5.9.
The earthquake began at 12:49 PM during public holidays, when many children left school and celebrated on the streets of Istanbul. Panicked residents rushed from their homes and buildings into the streets. Disaster and emergency management agencies urge people to stay away from buildings.
“As a result of panic, our 151 citizens were injured in jumping from a height,” the Istanbul governor's office said in a statement. “Their treatment is underway in the hospital and their treatment is not life-threatening.”
Many residents flock to parks, school grounds and other open areas to avoid getting close to buildings in the event of collapse or subsequent earthquakes. Some people set up tents in the park.
“Thank God, there seems to be no problem at the moment,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during an event marking national sovereignty and the Children’s Day holiday. “May God protect our nation and our people from all kinds of disasters, disasters, accidents and troubles.”
Personal trainer Leyla Ucar said she was working out with students on the 20th floor of the building when they were shocked.
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“We were shocking incredible. It made us move around, we didn't understand what was going on, we didn't think of the earthquake at the beginning because of the shock of the event,” she said. “It was horrible.”
Senol Sari, 51, told the Associated Press that he was in the living room of their third-floor apartment with the children when he heard loud noises and the building began to tremble. They fled to a nearby park. “We immediately protect ourselves from the earthquake and wait for it to pass,” Sarri said. “Of course, we're scared.”
Surry said they were able to come home calmly later, but they were still worried that one day they would attack the city. He said it was “an expected earthquake and our concerns continued.”
“My kid is a little scared”
Cihan Boztepe, 40, is one of many people who have rushed out of the streets with his family to avoid potential collapse. Boztepe stood next to his sob kid and told the Associated Press that in 2023 he lived in Batman Province, an area close to southern Turkey when major earthquakes hit, and Wednesday's tremors felt weak and he wasn't that scared.
“At first we were shaken, then we stopped, and then we were shaken again. My kid was a little scared, but I wasn't. We quickly collected our stuff and went to a safe place. If it was up to me, we would have been home.”
Türkiye's interior minister Ali Yerlikaya said authorities have not received any reports of the collapse of the building. He told Haberturk TV that there were reports of the building being damaged.
NTV Broadcasting Corporation reported that an abandoned and abandoned former residential building collapsed in the historic Fatic region, which houses the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque.
Education Minister Yusuf Tekin announced that the school will be closed in Istanbul on Thursday and Friday.
“Our school garden is open to all citizens' use as needed for safe space,” Tekin said.
Urban reconstruction project
Türkiye was crossed by two major fault lines and earthquakes were frequent.
The 7.8-magnitude earthquake on February 6, 2023, a second powerful tremor in a few hours destroyed or damaged hundreds of thousands of southern and southeastern provinces, killing more than 53,000 people. In the neighboring country northern Syria, another 6,000 people were killed.
Istanbul was not affected by the earthquake, but its destructiveness increased fear of similar earthquakes, experts cite the city's distance from the fault lines.
To prevent any damage from future earthquakes, national and local governments have started urban reconstruction projects to strengthen buildings at risk and launched a campaign to demolish buildings at risk of collapse.
Prison mayor expresses grief
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who was sentenced to jail last month on corruption charges, issued a statement through a lawyer expressing his grief over his inability to get along with the city’s residents.
“As managers and city planners, who have been dedicated throughout their lives to Istanbul's disaster-centric program and have struggled for this purpose, my greatest sorrow is that we can't be with you.”
Many believe that the arrest of politicians is believed to be politically motivated by the key rivals with Erdogan. The government insists on independent court action.
On Wednesday, a long queue was set up at the gas station with residents as residents, planning to leave Istanbul and rush to fill their vehicles. Among them is Emre Senkay, who said he might leave if there was a more severe earthquake later that day.
“My plan is to leave Istanbul if there is a more severe earthquake,” he said.
– Fraser is from Ankara, Türkiye. Robert Badendieck contributed from Canakkale, Turkey.
