A moderate earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale struck the northwestern region of Turkey on Wednesday, shaking Istanbul and surrounding provinces. The earthquake triggered widespread panic across the city of over 16 million residents.

A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 has hit Istanbul, news agency Reuters reports, citing Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency. The German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) says the earthquake had a magnitude 6.02 and was at a depth of 10 km (6.21 miles).

A powerful earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale struck near Istanbul, Turkey’s emergency management agency reported Wednesday. The tremor, centered in the Sea of Marmara about 40 kilometers southwest of Istanbul,