Istanbul earthquake: European holiday hotspots Greece, Romania and Bulgaria affected after powerful 6.2 quake hits city in Turkey

The quakes prompted residents to flee buildings as tremors were felt across Turkey’s largest city. As reported by Reuters and the Associated Press (AP), there were no immediate reports of casualties or significant damage.

According to the BBC, buildings shook and people rushed into the streets, particularly on the European side of the city. The 6.2-magnitude quake hit 73km (45 miles) from the city, also rocking Bulgaria, Greece, and Romania. It was at a depth of 10km (6.21 miles), according to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ).

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.

One user wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “6.2M earthquake felt in Turkey, Greece and Bulgaria, the entire airport shook. While everyone was running out, I just stood there, looking at the ceiling, thinking ok this is it, I'm actually cooked now”.

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.

Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency, is reporting several earthquakes in Istanbul.

• The first is of 3.9 magnitude and hit the coast of the Silivri district at 12:13 local time (10:13 BST)
• The second is of 6.2 magnitude and hit the same area at 12:49 (10:49 BST)
• The third quake of 4.4 magnitude in Istanbul's Buyukcekmece district hit at 12:51 local time (10:51 BST)