Turkish city Istanbul rocked by 6.2 magnitude earthquake

People have rushed onto the streets after the city was hit by a 6.2 magnitude earthquake on Wednesday.

A 6.2 magnitude earthquake has rocked the Turkish city of Istanbul with shocks felt as far away as Bulgaria.

Videos shared on social media show buildings rocking due to the shocks and waves emerging in the Marmara Sea south of the city.

There are concerns a major earthquake, larger than the one felt on Wednesday, local time, could hit the huge city.

There are reports of 151 injuries but no deaths.

Officials said the earthquake hit the Marmara Sea near the western outskirts of Istanbul on Wednesday.

“An earthquake of 6.2 magnitude occurred in Silivri, Marmara Sea, Istanbul,” Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on X, adding that it was felt in the surrounding provinces.

An earthquake has rocked the major city of Istanbul, Turkey. Picture: Supplied

The initial quake at 12:49pm, local time, was followed by three others of with magnitudes of 4.4 to 4.9, Turkey’s AFAD disaster management agency posted on X.

Istanbul, considered the gateway between Europe and Asia, is the biggest city in Turkey with a population of 15 million.

As buildings shook, people rushed onto the streets where crowds of worried-looking people stared at their mobile phones for information or made calls, an AFP correspondent said.

CNN Turk's broadcast during the 6.2 earthquake in Istanbul, Turkey. Picture: CNN/X

“I just felt earthquake, I’ve got to get out,” said a shaken-looking decorator rushing out of a fourth floor apartment where he was working near the city’s Galata Tower, who did not want to give his name.

Footage has also been shared of a shocked journalist responding to the quake while hosting a program on a Turkish CNN broadcast.

There were no immediate reports of anyone being hurt or killed nor of buildings collapsing in the sprawling city of 16 million people, city authorities and the regional governor’s office said.

People gather outdoors following an earthquake shock. Picture: AP Photo/Khalil Hamra

“Until now, we have no information about any buildings collapsing,” the governor’s office said, urging people to avoid any structures that might have been damaged in the tremors.

“No serious cases have been reported so far following the earthquake in Istanbul,” the Istanbul municipality said on X.

The tremors could be felt as far away as Bulgaria, according to AFP journalists in the capital Sofia.

Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey with a magnitude 7.8 earthquake in 2023 destroying hundreds of thousands of buildings and leaving more than 53,000 people dead.

Originally published as Turkish city Istanbul rocked by 6.2 magnitude earthquake