More than 50 aftershocks rocked the Istanbul region after a powerful 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck the Sea of Marmara just to the south of Turkey's biggest city on Wednesday, the interior minister said.
"By 3:12 pm (1512 GMT), 51 aftershocks -- the largest of which was 5.9 magnitude -- had been recorded," Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya wrote on X, saying the first 6.2 magnitude quake, which hit at 12:59 pm was "approximately seven kilometres deep lasted a total of 13 seconds".
The initial quake at 12:49 pm (0949 GMT) was followed by three others of with magnitudes of 4.4 to 4.9, Turkey's AFAD disaster management agency posted on X.
As buildings shook, people rushed onto the streets where crowds of worried-looking people stared at their mobile phones for information or made calls, an AFP correspondent said.
"I just felt earthquake, I've got to get out," said a shaken-looking decorator rushing out of a fourth floor apartment where he was working near the city's Galata Tower, who did not want to give his name.
There were no immediate reports of anyone being hurt or killed nor of buildings collapsing in the sprawling city of 16 million people, city authorities and the regional governor's office said.
"Until now, we have no information about any buildings collapsing," the governor's office said, urging people to avoid any structures that might have been damaged in the tremors.
"No serious cases have been reported so far following the earthquake in Istanbul," the Istanbul municipality said on X.
The tremors could be felt as far away as Bulgaria, according to AFP journalists in the capital Sofia.
With AFP
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