A strong, 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck in the Sea of Marmara on Wednesday, according to the United States Geological Survey. The temblor happened at 12:49 p.m. Eastern European time about 25 miles southwest of Istanbul, data from the agency shows.

The earthquake struck off the coast of Istanbul on Wednesday leading to scenes of panic in the Turkish metropolis, officials said.

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.2 shook Istanbul and other areas of Turkey on Wednesday, prompting widespread panic and scores of injuries in the city of 16 million people, though there were no immediate reports of serious damage.