Istanbul, the largest city of Turkey, was jolted by a powerful series of earthquakes.
According to CNN, the Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD) of Turkey on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, said that a magnitude 6.5 earthquake hit off the coast of Istanbul at 12:49 (09:49 GMT).
AFAD added that the quake occurred in the Sea of Marmara close to Silivri, around 70 kilometres (40 miles) to the west of Istanbul. The continued shocks cause the buildings in the Turkish metropolis to shake.
As per AFAD's post on social media platform X, the initial powerful quake was followed by a series of three others with magnitudes of 4.4 to 4.9.
People quickly rushed out of the buildings and gathered in the streets.
No reports of immediate damage or casualities
There are no immediate reports of damage or casualties; however, officials urged people to avoid buildings that could be unsafe as structures rocked in the city, located on the European and Asian shores of the Bosphorus Strait.
Kemal Cebi, the mayor of the Kucukcekmece district in western Istanbul, told local broadcaster NTV that there were “no negative developments yet”, but there are reports of traffic jams. He also highlighted that many of the buildings were already at high risk due to the density of the area, Al Jazeera reported.
Furthermore, Turkish broadcaster TGRT reported that a person has been injured after jumping from the balcony during the earthquake on a public holiday in the country.
Türkiye’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya offered well wishes to the affected people and said emergency authorities have begun “field assessments.”
