5.8 magnitude earthquake shakes Istanbul, 8 slightly injured

An earthquake of magnitude 5.8 shook Istanbul on September 26, injuring eight people and causing some damage to the city.  The tremours that were moderate in nature forced the residents to rush out from their buildings. Two mosques suffered damage and offices, schools were evacuated for a while. According to the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority, the earthquake hit the sea of Marmara at 1:59 pm(local time) at 7 km deep. The quake was felt all over the western Marmara region.

The President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed that 8 people are wounded and proper treatment is being given to them. “Apart from small damage, we have not received any reports so far that would pain our hearts,” he said. 

The Health Minister of Turkey Fahrettin Koca confirmed on twitter that none have died in the earthquake. He wrote that their biggest consolation is that there is no loss of life in the 5.8 magnitude earthquake that occurs off the coast of Silivri, Istanbul.

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News footage showed a collapsed minaret in the city’s western Avcilar district. The emergency agency said one building tilted, two showed damage and cracks were found in others. Turkish media showed children being evacuated from schools and city residents waiting outside their homes. Schools were cancelled for the day.

The U.S. Geological Survey assessed the quake’s magnitude at 5.7. The Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute recorded several aftershocks, with the highest at 4.4 magnitude.

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Turkey is crossed by fault lines and prone to earthquakes. Experts have long warned that a major earthquake is expected to hit Istanbul, Turkey’s most populous city with more than 15 million residents. A 4.6 magnitude earthquake hit the city on Tuesday. In 1999, a 7.4 magnitude earthquake in western Turkey killed more than 17,000 people.

(With AP inputs) 

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