A 6.2-magnitude earthquake that struck off the coast of İstanbul on Wednesday caused panic across the city but resulted in no fatalities, with more than 150 people injured, most of whom jumped in fear from windows or balconies as the ground shook, Deutsche Welle’s Turkish edition reported, citing officials.
The earthquake, centered in the Marmara Sea near Silivri, hit at 12:49 p.m. local time (0949 GMT) and was followed by dozens of aftershocks, including one measuring 5.9. The tremors were felt across northwestern Turkey, including in Tekirdağ, Yalova, Bursa and Balıkesir.
According to the İstanbul Governor’s Office, 151 people were injured across the city, largely due to panic-driven attempts to escape buildings during the quake. There were no reports of building collapses in residential areas, though an abandoned structure in the Fatih district did collapse with no injuries.
Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) activated its National Disaster Response Plan (TAMP), dispatching teams to inspect infrastructure and coordinate emergency response. The agency reported the quake occurred at a depth of 6.9 kilometers. The US Geological Survey registered the quake at a depth of 10 kilometers.
The earthquake triggered disruptions across İstanbul. Mobile networks failed for several minutes, traffic congestion surged despite it being a national holiday and residents poured into parks and open spaces.
Education Minister Yusuf Tekin announced that all schools in İstanbul — from kindergartens to universities — would be closed on Thursday and Friday. The Higher Education Council confirmed that the suspension applies to both public and private universities.
The İstanbul Governor’s Office said public employees who are pregnant, disabled, veterans or mothers of children under 10 would be granted administrative leave during the closure. Healthcare and emergency personnel are excluded from this provision.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was informed of the earthquake during a National Sovereignty and Children’s Day event at the presidential complex. He later said, “We are closely following the developments and extend our best wishes to all our citizens.”
Erdoğan spoke with several key officials, including Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, Environment Minister Murat Kurum, Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu, İstanbul Governor Davut Gül and AFAD President Ali Hamza Pehlivan.
Yerlikaya said all related agencies had begun field inspections, while Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu confirmed no damage was reported to roads, airports, rail lines or metro systems.
İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, currently jailed on corruption charges, issued a statement from prison, calling for unity and disaster-focused urban planning. He renewed his proposal for an “İstanbul Earthquake Council” and warned against diverting public resources to controversial megaprojects.
“Preparing for the İstanbul earthquake is a matter of national survival, far beyond elections or personal power struggles,” İmamoğlu said.
Seismologist Naci Görür cautioned that Wednesday’s earthquake was not the major event long expected along the North Anatolian Fault. “The real earthquake will be larger than magnitude 7,” Görür said, adding that recent tremors may be increasing stress on the fault.
“The time to talk about earthquakes is not after they happen,” he wrote on X. “It’s before — and preparation must be led by government, supported by municipalities and demanded by the public.”
İstanbul, a city of over 16 million people, lies along one of the world’s most active seismic zones. Scientists have warned for years that a high-magnitude quake is likely in the region and could be catastrophic without urgent structural and policy reforms.