A 5.0-magnitude earthquake shook Istanbul on Thursday, causing buildings to tremble in Turkey’s largest city and prompting residents to flee to the streets, as reported by Reuters and the AFAD disaster agency. The epicenter of the quake was pinpointed by AFAD in the Marmara Sea, southwest of Istanbul, along a fault line that has long been identified as a significant threat to the city’s 16 million inhabitants.
Recently, a 5.4-magnitude earthquake hit northwestern Turkey close to the town of Simav in Kutahya province. The earthquake, which occurred at a shallow depth of 8 kilometers (5 miles) at 12:59 pm local time on Sunday, was followed by a 4.0-magnitude aftershock. While the tremor was felt in Istanbul, located approximately 100 kilometers (62 miles) north, no casualties were reported.
In August, Sindirgi in Balikesir province was struck by a 6.1-magnitude earthquake, resulting in one fatality and numerous injuries. Since then, the area has been hit by a series of minor tremors. Turkey’s location on multiple major fault lines makes it highly susceptible to earthquakes.
Earlier in 2023, a devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit southern and southeastern Turkey, claiming over 53,000 lives and causing widespread destruction to hundreds of thousands of buildings across 11 provinces. The disaster also resulted in approximately 6,000 fatalities in northern Syria.