A 5.8 maginitude earthquake was recorded in Istanbul, Turkey in the early hours of Thursday September 26, causing pandemonium in the Turkish city.
Eight people were injured during the tremor which struck the southwest of Istanbul in the Marmara Sea at 2:00 p.m. (GMT+3) before hitting a depth of 7 kilometers (4.34 miles) according to the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD). The Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute however countered the claim by saying the depth was 11.9 kilometers.
An immediate evacuation of schools and hospitals was ordered by Governor Ali Yerlikaya, as it was also gathered that the minaret of a mosque in Avc?lar district in Istanbul collapsed due to the quake.
"Eight people were slightly injured in the earthquake," President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an told reporters at Istanbul's Atatürk Airport returning from his visit to the UN General Assembly in New York.
"According to AFAD, the magnitude of the earthquake is 5.8 and 28 aftershocks are recorded so far," Erdo?an said. Two buildings were damaged in Sultangazi and Eyüp districts while residents of a building which leaned aside due to the earthquake were evacuated in ?irinevler district of Istanbul. The AFAD strongly urged people not to go back into damaged buildings, while authorities warned there might be more aftershocks.
"We know there are eight injuries. All of them suffered slight injuries. We also know there is light damage to some buildings. This was a relatively strong earthquake, but there has been no tragic news so far," Erdo?an said, adding crews were examining buildings against any damage.
The country which is among the world's most seismically active zones as it is situated on several active fault lines, haas suffered devastating earthquakes in the past including one near Istanbul in 1999 killed more than 17,000 people in the greater region.
<<Print>>