4.8-magnitude quake hits Andaman Islands
A medium-intensity earthquake measuring 4.8 on the Richter Scale jolted the Andaman Islands region in the early hours of Wednesday.
A moderate 5.7 magnitude earthquake hit Istanbul on Thursday, that left eight people injured and caused panic among residents, according to Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority.
The quake struck in the Sea of Marmara at 13:59 pm (10:59 GMT) at 6.9 kilometres below ground, the authority said in a statement.
One of the Witnesses said that tremor felt that shook building and some offices and schools were temporarily evacuated. Three major seismic fault lines criss-cross Istanbul, which straddles Europe and Asia.
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During a press briefing, President Tayyip Erdogan said, “Despite this earthquake having a magnitude that could be considered serious, we have not as yet received heartbreaking news, just some small damage”.
He further said that eight people had been treated for slight injuries, but did not provide further details.
Taking to Twitter, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca confirmed that there were no deaths.
In central Istanbul, the quake could be felt for as long as 15 seconds, shaking glassware and knocking over furnishings. In the Istanbul district of Avcilar, on the European side of the Bosphorus, the quake knocked down a minaret of a mosque.
The quake was reportedly felt in neighbouring provinces.
Earlier this week, a minor 4.6-magnitude earthquake also struck off Silivri, a district of Istanbul province, in which no one injured.
On 23 October 2011, more than 200 people were killed and 1,000 injured after a powerful 7.2 earthquake rocked southeastern Turkey.
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