Magnitude 6.2 earthquake jolts Istanbul

Al Jazeera :

A strong earthquake has hit Turkiye, causing buildings in the city of Istanbul to shake.
The quake, taking place at 12:49 [09:49 GMT] on Wednesday in the Marmara Sea off the coast of Istanbul’s Silvri area, registered a preliminary 6.2 magnitude, reports Turkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Authority (AFAD).

It was at a depth of 10km (6.21 miles), according to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ).

The quake was felt in several neighbouring provinces and in the city of Izmir, some 550 kilometres (340 miles) south of Istanbul. The initial quake was followed by eight others with magnitudes of 3.5 to 5.9.

As buildings shook in the city located on the European and Asian shores of the Bosphorus strait, 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.

Turkey’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya told national TV network HaberTurk that authorities had not received reports of collapsed buildings, but that there had been reports of damage to buildings.

Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said initial inspections did not reveal any damage or adverse conditions on highways, airports, trains or subways.