The quake occurred in the Sea of Marmara close to Silivri, which lies around 70 kilometers (40 miles) to the west of the Turkish metropolis, and aftershocks are continuing, AFAD said.
Turkey’s health ministry said that it has not yet received any calls for help.
Search and rescue teams have been mobilized across the area of impact, according to Turkey’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya.
In February 2023, Turkey experienced one of its deadliest earthquakes in the last century, when a 7.8 magnitude quake struck 23 kilometers (14.2 miles) east of Nurdagi, in the southern Gaziantep province, at a depth of 24.1 kilometers (14.9 miles).
That quake also hit northern Syria, killing more 50,000 people across both countries.
An earthquake occurs when the Earth’s crust shifts abruptly, with energy radiated out as seismic waves and shaking that can violently impact people, buildings and infrastructure.
Seismic waves and factors related to the shifting ground determine an earthquake’s magnitude, as measured through 10 on the scale most commonly used to describe quakes. An earthquake that measures between 6 and 6.9 is classified as “strong.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
