More than 150 injured in Magnitude 6.2 earthquake shake buildings in Istanbul

The magnitude 6.2 earthquake that struck Istanbul on April 23, 2025, has raised significant concerns regarding urban safety and disaster preparedness in the region. According to reports, the quake originated near Silivri, located approximately 80 kilometers west of the city . This seismic event has been characterized as one of the strongest tremors to affect Istanbul in recent years, eliciting widespread panic among residents and resulting in over 230 injuries primarily due to falls and hasty evacuations from buildings .

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.

With two key fault lines in its vicinity – the North Anatolian and the East Anatolian – Turkey is one of the most seismically active regions in the world, a reality that has amplified concern over Istanbul’s earthquake preparedness.

Once the capital of the Byzantine and the Ottoman empires, the densely populated city is home to around 16 million people. It lies precariously close to the North Anatolian fault, which passes within 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) of Istanbul and through the Sea of Marmara, according to the Geological Society of London.

Historically, that fault has led to several disastrous earthquakes, including a 7.6 magnitude quake that struck the nearby city of Izmit in 1999, killing over 17,000 people, and displacing an estimated 500,000 others.

Despite the alarming number of injuries reported, most were not critical; however, they highlight a pressing need for enhanced public awareness and training regarding emergency responses during natural disasters . Furthermore, while structural damage was reported with some buildings requiring evacuation due to safety concerns, there were no major infrastructural collapses aside from one derelict structure (. These events underscore the importance of developing robust contingency plans for urban centers prone to seismic activity.

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Sarah H

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