An earthquake of 6.2 magnitude hit Istanbul in the early afternoon. Lasting around 20 seconds, the city was sent into panic, with most of the residents rushing to the streets, looking for some of the rare open areas in the densely built quarters. Although no deaths or major damage have been reported so far, the unpreparedness of the city was obvious from the first moment.
I arrived at the closest designated assembly zone – the courtyard of a mosque – and found the gates locked. When the local imam finally turned up, he was not even aware that it was an assembly zone. His confidence that the Fatih quarter is a holy place in Islam, thus no harm would befall the residents here, was not too reassuring.
After shocks can still be felt, and authorities warn that more, potentially bigger earthquakes could follow. Citizens were told to stay outside and avoid buildings until further notice.
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