Turks spend the night outside after strong earthquake and aftershocks hit Istanbul

Thousands of families were forced to spend the night outside in tents set up in parks, lighting fires to keep warm as temperatures dropped below 10°C due to fear to return to their homes, following a strong earthquake and over 180 aftershocks.

The magnitude 6.2 quake tremor that struck Wednesday deeply impacted the city of 16 million residents, leaving many inhabitants shaken and wary of a possible more destructive tremor. There were no reports of causalities and serious damage but the temblor, the strongest felt in Istanbul in recent years, prompted widespread panic and scores of injuries.

The earthquake had a shallow depth of 10 kilometers (about 6 miles), according to the United States Geological Survey, with its epicenter about 40 kilometers (25 miles) southwest of Istanbul, in the Sea of Marmara. It was felt in several neighboring provinces.

At least 236 people were treated for injuries they suffered while trying to jump from buildings or for panic attacks. Most of the injuries were in Istanbul, where residents remain on edge because the city is considered at high risk for a major quake.

In fear of a stronger earthquake that could demolish homes, residents sought refuge by sleeping in their cars or setting up tents in parks and other open spaces. Many lit camp fires to keep warm after the temperature dipped.

Turkey's Minister of Education, Yusuf Tekin, announced that schools in Istanbul would be closed on Thursday and Friday.

Schools were also closed for one day in Tekirdağ, Yalova, and Kocaeli.

The President of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK), Erol Özvar, stated that education at both public and private universities was suspended on Thursday and Friday as well.

Public sector employees who are pregnant, disabled, veterans, or mothers of children under the age of 10 will be granted two days of administrative leave.

Schoolyards, sports halls, and mosques remained open for those who preferred not to stay at home due to fear of aftershocks.

The Red Crescent and AFAD were mobilized to meet basic needs. AFAD urged people not to enter damaged buildings under any circumstances.

Turkey's Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya provided information about the April 23 earthquake. According to this, the quake lasted 13 seconds.

It occurred at 12:49 PM off the coast of Silivri, at a depth of 6.92 kilometers.
About an hour later, another tremor with a magnitude of 5.9 was recorded.

"At 12:49 PM, a 6.2 magnitude earthquake (Mw) occurred in the Sea of Marmara, off the coast of Silivri."

The statement emphasized that the earthquake took place "on a segment of the North Anatolian Fault Zone passing through the central Marmara region, at a depth of approximately 7 km, and lasted about 13 seconds."

It was reported that a total of 184 aftershocks have been recorded so far following the main shock, which was felt in provinces within a 300 km radius. These aftershocks are expected to continue for some time in the coming days.

For many, the memory of a devastating earthquake that struck 11 southern and southeastern provinces two years ago, remains vivid.

The 7.8-magnitude earthquake on February 6, 2023, claimed more than 53,000 lives and destroyed or damaged hundreds of thousands of buildings. Another 6,000 people were killed in the northern parts of neighboring Syria.

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