Centered in the Sea of Marmara, 45 km southeast of Tekirdag at a shallow 8-10 km depth; felt strongly in Istanbul (MMI V-VI shaking) and as far as Bursa, Yalova, and Balikesir, with no major damage reported yet.
Thousands evacuated buildings and schools; crowds gathered in parks amid aftershocks (up to 4.0); AFAD and governors' offices report no casualties, but emergency services on high alert with shelters activated.
Latest in a series of tremors (e.g., April's 6.2 quake injured 236 via panic); highlights Istanbul's high-risk fault zone, with experts urging preparedness for a potential 7+ event.
A preliminary magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck the Sea of Marmara off the coast of Istanbul on Thursday afternoon, sending shockwaves through Turkey's most populous city and igniting scenes of chaos as residents fled buildings in fear. While initial assessments reported no major structural damage or casualties, the sudden jolt—amid Istanbul's long-standing seismic vulnerabilities—triggered mass evacuations, school closures, and a surge in emergency calls, underscoring the city's precarious position on the North Anatolian Fault.
Eyewitnesses described the ground shaking intensely for several seconds, with buildings swaying across Istanbul's European and Asian districts. "It felt like the earth was ripping apart—I grabbed my kids and ran into the street," recounted Ayla Demir, a teacher in the Fatih neighborhood, where students were hastily evacuated from classrooms. The private NTV broadcaster captured footage of crowds pouring out of high-rises, mosques, and offices, huddling in parks and open spaces as aftershocks rippled through the region.
The Istanbul governor's office confirmed swift preliminary checks showed no immediate signs of collapse or infrastructure failure, but urged citizens to avoid elevators and upper floors. This event follows a pattern of heightened activity: Just days ago, a 5.4-magnitude tremor hit near Simav in Kutahya province, and in August, a 6.1-magnitude quake in Balikesir killed one and injured dozens.
The Marmara Sea's fault lines, According to Indin Express, including the Kumburgaz and Adalar segments, remain under immense stress, with the 1999 İzmit earthquake (magnitude 7.6) still fresh in collective memory, having claimed over 17,000 lives nearby. AFAD has mobilized response teams, and officials are monitoring for further aftershocks, the largest of which so far measured 4.0. As night falls, thousands are bedding down in makeshift shelters, with the Yemeni embassy in Ankara advising expatriates to heed safety protocols like structural inspections.
