Istanbul earthquake shakes city awake
At 10:03 a.m. on April 23, 2025, people across Istanbul were jolted and rushed outdoors as a 6.2-magnitude earthquake rumbled beneath the Marmara Sea. Alarms blared from apartment towers to crowded shops as buildings swayed, stirring memories of the city’s traumatic history with earthquakes. The shallow epicenter—just 10 kilometers below the surface and 25 miles southwest of Istanbul—brought the tremors straight to Turkey’s largest city and its nearly 16 million residents.
For about half a minute, Istanbul stood still. Many scrambled for exits, crowding into streets and open areas while fearing the worst. Parents gripped their children’s hands in playgrounds, and office workers jolted from chairs as the ground moved beneath their feet. Although the main shock was terrifying, what followed was no less nerve-wracking: residents reported feeling eight aftershocks ripple through the city, with the strongest at 5.9 magnitude sending another round of panic late into the day.
Initial fears centered on building safety, especially since Istanbul’s dense urban landscape is a patchwork of modern high-rises and older, less resilient structures. The city sits along the volatile North Anatolian Fault, known for devastating earthquakes in living memory.
No catastrophic damage, but nerves are frayed
The good news came quickly from Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu, who announced that inspections of critical infrastructure—highways, bridges, metro lines, and airports—revealed no damage. Metro trains halted briefly during the shaking but soon resumed service. Hospitals stayed on high alert, but there were no immediate mass casualties or collapsed buildings, a massive relief in a city so vulnerable to seismic risk. Only one injury was officially recorded, when a panicked resident leapt from a balcony during the quake.
Erdogan’s office reported he monitored the aftermath closely, holding briefings with emergency officials. The national disaster agency (AFAD) urged people to avoid returning to damaged homes and to prepare for more tremors. Social media was flooded with updates, push alerts, and footage of swinging lamps, toppled glassware, and surging crowds on the streets.
The quake’s timing added to the chaos. April 23 marks National Sovereignty and Children’s Day, one of Turkey’s biggest holidays. Public gatherings across Istanbul, from concerts to parades, were abruptly canceled, with terrified citizens pouring out of parks and event venues. The government’s quick response helped calm fears, though the public mood was unsettled for hours afterward.
The psychological scars run deep. Istanbul has endured catastrophic quakes before—the infamous 1999 tremor killed over 17,000 and left the city on edge for years, while the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquake’s devastation is still fresh. These tragedies have left many Istanbulites hyper-aware of even minor shaking, and the return of these fears was plain to see as families huddled outside, glued to their phones, waiting for the all-clear.
- Epicenter: Marmara Sea, 25 miles southwest of Istanbul
- Magnitude: 6.2 (main quake), with eight aftershocks
- Infrastructure: No damage found after inspections
- Injury: One confirmed, caused by a panic jump
- Public response: Mass evacuations, event cancellations, ongoing anxiety
This latest quake is a reminder of Istanbul’s ever-present vulnerability and the delicate balance between daily life and looming disaster. For now, life in Istanbul inches back to normal, but those few minutes of shaking will echo for weeks in one of the world’s most earthquake-prone cities.