A 5.1 magnitude earthquake struck the Gulf of Gemlik, located south of Istanbul, on Monday. No damage or casualties have been recorded by the Turkish authorities for the moment. A new earthquake which raises fears of a major earthquake in Istanbul, where 15 million inhabitants live.
A 5.1 magnitude earthquake struck the Gulf of Gemlik, located south of Istanbul, on Monday, without causing major damage or casualties, Turkish authorities announced. The earthquake’s epicenter is located in the Sea of Marmara, off the coast of Gemlik, almost 120 km south of Istanbul and near Bursa, according to Turkey’s disaster management agency AFAD.
AFP journalists felt the tremors in the Asian and European part of Istanbul, while residents rushed to the streets fearing a collapse of buildings in Bursa, according to images broadcast by Turkish media.
17,000 dead in an earthquake in Istanbul in 1999
With its more than 15 million inhabitants, Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey to fear a major earthquake because of its proximity to the North Anatolian fault, one of the most active in the world. A 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck the city in 1999, killing more than 17,000 people.
Two major earthquakes struck southeastern Turkey in February, killing more than 50,000 people and devastating around ten towns in the region.