Powerful 6.2-magnitude earthquake hits off Istanbul coast

The initial quake at 12:49 pm (0949 GMT) was followed by three others 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 the 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.