The powerful 6.2-magnitude earthquake on the Richter scale that shook Istanbul early this afternoon, and the intense aftershock that has followed, has awakened unpleasant memories and fears among residents of western Turkey.

Significantly, after the initial tremor off the coast of Silivri, in the Sea of Marmara, dozens of other tremors at the same location, with the largest of them being 5.9 magnitude, a few minutes after the 6.2. At the same time, aftershocks of 4.9, 4.8, 4.5 and 4.4 magnitude have been recorded.

In the latest update provided by Interior Minister Ali Yirlikaya, he said that the major tremor of 6.2 magnitude had a duration of 13 seconds, while a total of 51 aftershocks had occurred by 3:15 in the afternoon. Meanwhile, the emergency service received over 6,100 calls, mostly for information.

Meanwhile, there may have been no reports of property damage or casualties as of 3:30 p.m., according to Turkish authorities, but indicative of the panic that prevailed is that some 150 people suffered minor injuries when they jumped from a height to escape the buildings they were in.

“As of 3:30 p.m., there have been no negative developments due to the 6.2 magnitude earthquake that would affect the lives of citizens, power supply and infrastructure, gas supply, drinking water supply, and sewerage infrastructure. There was no loss of human lives,” the statement issued by the Istanbul Governor’s Office said, adding: “The treatment of 151 citizens who were injured when they jumped from a height due to panic continues in hospitals and they are not in mortal danger. There is no damage to residential buildings in the city. An abandoned building collapsed in the Fatih district, and there were no deaths or injuries in the incident. The work of the relevant units in the field continues.”

Thousands of people took to the streets in panic, French Press Agency reporters said. In the city centre, many people gathered in parks and others sat on the doorsteps of their homes as the aftershocks continued to be felt. Some shops closed after the quake rocked the European side of the city.

Turkey is crossed by two faults that have caused many deadly earthquakes in the past.

The earthquake brought back memories of the deadly 1999 earthquake near Istanbul that killed 17,000 people.

Istanbul is living in fear of a “Megaquake” as it is located 20 km from the North Anatolia fault, and some experts are predicting an earthquake of at least 7 magnitude by 2030, which would cause the partial or total collapse of hundreds of thousands of buildings.

In February 2023, southeastern Turkey experienced the most devastating earthquake in its modern history, killing at least 53,000 people, leveling cities,and destroying historical monuments.

“Do not enter damaged buildings.”

The AFAD has warned residents to avoid entering damaged buildings.

Today is an official holiday in Turkey (National Sovereignty Day).

At the same time, the president of the OASP, Ethymios Lekkas, speaking to SKAI, referred to an earthquake that occurred in a“difficult spot” while a sequence is expected, he said.

Erdogan’s message after the Istanbul earthquakes

Following the powerful earthquakes that struck Istanbul today, the largest of which reached 6.2 magnitude, Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said he is closely monitoring developments and wishes his citizens a speedy recovery.

“I convey my wishes for a speedy recovery to our citizens. We are closely following the developments,” he said.

Watch the video, the 6.2 Richter in the Bosphorus

Turkish media released the first videos of the moment the 6.2 magnitude earthquake was recorded. In them, citizens are recorded coming out of shops and staying in places where there are no buildings.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya made the following statements in his personal social media account: “A 6.2 magnitude earthquake occurred in Silivria, Marmara Sea, Istanbul. Regarding the earthquake, which was also felt in neighboring provinces, AFAD and all teams of our relevant agencies have started on-site investigations. I wish our citizens affected by the earthquake get well soon. May God protect our country and nation from disasters.”

Earthquake in Turkey: Watch the first videos of the moment of the powerful tremor

First images of the first moments of the recent strongest shock wave in Turkey.

Another earthquake had struck half an hour earlier when it rattled eastern Thrace at noon on Wednesday, being felt in parts of Istanbul as well.

The earthquake was of magnitude 3.9 on the Sea of Marmara, midway between Raidestu and Istanbul. According to the Turkish Emergency Disaster Management Agency (AFAD), the earthquake had a focal depth of 6.9 kilometers.