Nearly 240 injured after strong earthquake strikes near Istanbul, Turkey

Nearly 240 people have been injured following a magnitude 6.2 earthquake near Istanbul, Turkey, according to officials. All reported injuries were indirectly caused by the quake—resulting from panic attacks or falls, including people jumping from buildings.

The earthquake struck at 12:49 p.m. local time on Wednesday, with its epicenter located in the Sea of Marmara. It occurred at a preliminary depth of 6.2 miles (10 kilometers), according to data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

Strong shaking was felt across the coastal cities along the Sea of Marmara, including in the Istanbul metropolitan area. The epicenter was approximately 13.2 miles (21 kilometers) from the town of Marmara Ereğlisi and about 40 miles (70 kilometers) from Istanbul.

Turkish authorities reported on Wednesday evening that 236 people had been injured as a result of panic-related incidents—primarily from jumping or falling. No injuries were directly attributed to the earthquake, and none were reported as life-threatening.

The majority of injuries occurred in Istanbul, where 173 people were hurt. An additional 24 injuries were reported in Tekirdağ and Sakarya provinces, three in Bursa, and two in Yalova. Officials also said there have been reports of damage to 378 structures. As a precaution, at least 12 buildings have been evacuated.

At least 127 aftershocks have been recorded so far, including two magnitude 5.0 tremors—one of which occurred closer to Istanbul than the initial quake, according to the USGS.

While earthquakes cannot be predicted, experts and officials are urging residents to prepare emergency plans, given the region’s history of destructive seismic activity.

In 2023, two devastating earthquakes in the southern and central regions of the country resulted in the deaths of approximately 60,000 people in Turkey and Syria, making it one of the deadliest disasters since the 2010 Haiti earthquake and among the worst in Turkish history.