ISTANBUL
A magnitude-6.5 earthquake shook Gokceada Island located in Turkey's northwest Aegean region on Saturday at 12:25 local time, Turkey's official emergency agency has said.
The quake was felt in a large area covering several cities, including Canakkale, 90 km off the epicenter, Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir – Turkey’s three biggest cities - as aftershocks are being recorded.
The Greek capital Athens and Western Thrace have also felt the shocks, an AA reporter in Greece says.
Istanbul’s governor has said his office received no negative reports within the first hour on the largest quake to shake the massive metropolis.
“No negative reports about Istanbul have been received; we are continuing to gather information,” Governor Huseyin Avni Mutlu said.
Canakkale Governor Ahmet Cinar also said there were no initial reports of casualties or loss of property in the Aegean city. Officials are on the field to investigate possible damages, he added.
The 6.5-magnitude earthquake that hit Turkey's northwest Aegean region Saturday at noon caused 267 injuries, one of them critical, according to Turkey's official emergency agency.
The Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency announced on Saturday that at least 20 aftershocks, up to 5.3 in magnitude, occurred with eight minutes after the main tremor.
The quake, which occurred 25 kilometers below the seabed, was centered 40 kilometers off Gokceada Island and lasted about 40 seconds.
It was felt widely across the Aegean region, including in Greece and Bulgaria. At least four people were reportedly injured in Greece.
The Turkish Interior Minister Efkan Ala said the ministry received no reports of casualties on the largest quake to shake Istanbul and neighboring cities in years.
The Greece Interior Minister Yiannis Michalakis was due to reach affected areas later in the day.
www.aa.com.tr/en
aa.com.tr/en
