Istanbul earthquake UPDATES: Powerful tremors strike Turkey’s largest city

Here are the latest images coming in from Istanbul following the earthquakes this morning as residents come to terms with the situation unfolding in their city.

President Tayyip Erdogan said on X he is monitoring the situation.

Here are the latest images coming in from Istanbul following this morning's earthquakes.

Officials from the Istanbul Governorship say they have not yet received any reports of earthquake damage.

Authorities are still scanning the city and are asking members of the public not to approach buildings that might be damaged.

They advise people to not drive or use their phones unless absolutely necessary as disaster and emergency management teams start to assess the impact of the quakes.

People have been spotted leaving buildings in panic after the 6.2 magnitude earthquake jolted Istanbul earlier today

Istanbul authorities are warning the public not to enter buildings that might be damaged following the earthquakes.

They advise people to not drive or use their phones unless absolutely necessary.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya says disaster and emergency management teams are starting to assess the impact of the quakes.

Here are the latest updates:

• An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.2 shook Istanbul on Wednesday, Turkeys disaster and emergency management agency said. There were no immediate reports of any damage or injuries.

• The earthquake had a shallow depth of 10 kilometers (about 6 miles), according to the United States Geological Survey. Its epicenter was some 40 kilometers (25 miles) southwest of Istanbul in the Sea of Marmara.

• It was followed by several aftershocks, including one measuring 5.3. The disaster and emergency management agency urged residents to stay away from buildings.

Here is the latest update from Turkey's disaster agency. The site appears to be back up after reportedly crashing.

We'll keep you updated here with all the latest news.

Turkey is crossed by two major fault lines, and earthquakes are frequent.

A magnitude 7.8 earthquake on February 6, 2023, and a second powerful tremor that came hours later, destroyed or damaged hundreds of thousands of buildings in 11 southern and southeastern Turkish provinces, leaving more than 53,000 people dead.

Another 6,000 people were killed in the northern parts of neighbouring Syria.

Turkey's disaster agency has just recorded another three earthquakes, all in Istanbul's Buyukcekmece district.

Their website has reportedly just crashed – presumably due to high demand.

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality said there were no serious cases in the earthquake in a statement made on its social media accounts.

Kemal Cebi, the mayor of Kucukcekmece district in western Istanbul, told local broadcaster NTV that there were no negative developments yet but he reported that there were traffic jams and that many buildings were already at risk due to the density of the area.

It is the second tremor of 6.2 magnitude that will be most worrying for Istanbul's 16 million-strong population.

It's the biggest city in Turkey where a fifth of the country's population lives.

The interior minister says the quake was felt not just in Istanbul but in surrounding provinces too.

News agencies are yet to report any details of casualties. We'll keep you updated here with all the latest news.

This just in from Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency, with details of THREE earthquakes:

• The first is of 3.9 magnitude and hit the coast of the Silivri district at 12:13 local time (10:13 BST)
• The second is of 6.2 magnitude and hit the same area at 12:49 (10:49 BST)
• The third quake of 4.4 magnitude in Istanbul's Buyukcekmece district hit at 12:51 local time (10:51 BST)

People in Istanbul leave the buildings in panic and call their loved ones after the 6.2 magnitude earthquake jolted Istanbul.

A CNN reporter shared real-time updates on the earthquake, stating:

“There are reports from people who felt the tremor, particularly in the Silivri and Buyukcekmece areas.

While we are currently in Caglayan and did not feel it here, it’s reported that the earthquake was felt in districts closer to Silivri, especially in Catalca. Coastal areas seem to have experienced the tremor as well.”

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