During the earthquake in Turkey, 151 people were injured after jumping from heights due to fear and are being treated in hospitals. There is no life threat to them. On Wednesday, a 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck near the coast of Istanbul, causing panic in the Turkish metropolis, officials reported.
The earthquake occurred in the Marmara Sea region, near the city of Silivri, located approximately 70 kilometers (40 miles) west of Istanbul. According to Turkey's Department of Emergency Situations and Disasters (AFAD), several local shocks were also observed after the earthquake.
According to the Istanbul administration, no one was killed, but 151 people were injured who "jumped from high places due to panic."
It was reported that no residential buildings were damaged, but one abandoned old building in Fath district was destroyed.
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya stated that the earthquake lasted 13 seconds and occurred at a depth of 7 kilometers from the Earth's surface. So far, 51 tremors have been recorded, the strongest of which was 5.9 points.
"Please do not lose your vigilance in anticipation of possible local tremors," Yerlikaya wrote on her social media page.
A total of 6,100 emergency calls were received, he added, most of which were information requests.
The studio was shaken by the tremors while host Meltem Bozbeyoğlu on CNN Turk was on live.
Recall that in February 2023, Turkey faced one of the most devastating earthquakes in the last century. The 7.8 magnitude earthquake occurred 23 kilometers (14.2 mi) east of Nurdagi in the South Gazintep region, at an underground depth of 24.1 kilometers (14.9 mi).
This earthquake also affected northern Syria, resulting in the deaths of more than 50,000 people in both countries.
Turkey is located between two major geologically active valleys - the North Anatolian and East Anatolian valleys - and is considered one of the most seismically hazardous regions in the world. This situation has further increased concerns about Istanbul's preparedness for the earthquake.
Istanbul, the former capital of the Byzantine and Ottoman empires, has a population of approximately 16 million. According to the Geological Society, the city is located very close to the North Anatolian Faltic - the faltic runs 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) to Istanbul and passes through the Sea of Marmara.
Throughout history, this fault has caused several devastating earthquakes. In particular, in 1999, a 7.6 magnitude earthquake occurred in the city of Izmit near Istanbul, killing more than 17,000 people and leaving approximately 500,000 homeless.
An earthquake occurs due to an unexpected displacement of the Earth's crust, during which energy is dispersed through seismic waves, causing a strong impact on people, buildings, and infrastructure.
These waves and seismic properties determine the magnitude of the earthquake. According to the most common scale of measurement, earthquakes with a magnitude of 6.0-6.9 are classified as "strong."
Abdullah Sayyid
