No reports of damage, say Istanbul authorities

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.

Istanbul’s expansion – and the risks involved

Istanbul has also been expanding geographically over the last several years, with many people opting to move to less built up areas, outside the city centre.

Scientists have long said that a big earthquake in Istanbul, which has been expected for years, could hit at any moment.

‘It was very scary’

Leyla Ucar, a personal trainer, said she was exercising with her student on the 20th floor of a building when they felt intense shaking, the Associated Press reports.

She added: “We shook incredibly. It threw us around, we couldn’t understand what was happening, we didn’t think of an earthquake at first because of the shock of the event, she said. It was very scary.”

‘Our concerns continue’

Senol Sari, a 51-year-old resident who fled to a park nearby his house, told the Associated Press he was with his children in the living room of his flat on the third floor of an apartment building when he heard a loud noise and the building started shaking.

“We immediately protected ourselves from the earthquake and waited for it to pass, then calmly walked away from the house,” Sari said. “Of course, we were scared during the earthquake. We were worried that it would continue. Since the (great) Istanbul earthquake … our concerns continue.”

‘The shaking stopped … then started again’

Cihan Boztepe, 40, was one of those who hurriedly fled to the streets with his family in order to avoid a potential collapse.

Boztepe, standing next to his sobbing child, told the Associated Press that he was living in Batman province, an area close to the southern part of Turkey where the 2023 quakes hit, and that the latest tremor felt weaker and that he wasn’t as scared.

“At first we were shaken, then it stopped, then we were shaken again. My children were a little scared, but I wasn’t. We quickly gathered our things and went down to a safe place. If it were up to me, we would have already returned home.”

Istanbul schools to close for two days

Schools in Istanbul will be closed on Thursday and Friday, Education Minister Yusuf Tekin has announced.

He adds that no serious incidents have been reported at any schools in the city, and that school gardens will be open to members of the public to be used as safe spaces.