In pictures: A 5.8 magnitude earthquake jolts Turkey's Istanbul
A powerful earthquake struck the metropolis on Thursday, according to Turkey’s monitoring center. The National Disaster Management Agency (AFAD) said that a 5.8 magnitude tremor hit the Sea of Marmara at 1:59 PM.
The collapsed part of the minaret of Avcilar Haci Ahmet Tukenmez Mosque after 5.8-magnitude earthquake hit Istanbul, Turkey on September 26, 2019. / AA
Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said a 5.8 magnitude quake hit at an epicentre 70 kilometres west of Istanbul in the Sea of Marmara, just south of the town of Silivri.
The tremor struck at 1059 GMT (1:59 pm local time).
Turkey lies on fault lines and is prone to earthquakes. The most devastating one in recent history, of magnitude 7.4, happened in 1999, killing more than 17,000 people.