Istanbul has been hit by a powerful 6.2 magnitude earthquake, Turkish officials have said, but there are no immediate reports of any damage or injures.
People were seen running out of buildings as the earthquake shook the city.
It had a shallow depth of 10km (about six miles), according to the United States Geological Survey.
The epicentre was some 40km (25 miles) southwest of Istanbul in the Sea of Marmara.
It was preceded by a 3.9 magnitude earthquake at 12.13pm, according to Turkey’s disaster and emergency management agency (AFAD), and followed by several aftershocks, including one measuring 5.3.
Residents were urged to stay away from buildings and reports said the earthquake was felt in neighbouring regions.
The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality said there were “no serious cases” after the earthquake in a statement on social media.
Kemal Cebi, the mayor of Kucukcekmece district in western Istanbul, told local broadcaster NTV that there were “no negative developments yet”, but he said that there were traffic jams and that many buildings were already at risk due to the density of the area.
Broadcaster TGRT reported that one person had been injured after they jumped off a balcony during the earthquake – which occurred during a public holiday in Turkey.
Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, as it is crossed by two major fault lines.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
#Istanbul #hit #magnitude #earthquake #Turkeys #emergency #management #agency #World #News
