The biggest of the tremors to hit Istanbul was felt some 275 miles away (440km) in the capital, Ankara, according to Mayor Mansur Yavas. It's a measure of how powerful the 6.2-magnitude quake was. Officials from the Istanbul Governorship say they haven't received any reports of earthquake damage yet.

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.

A strong earthquake rattled Istanbul, Turkey, and neighboring regions, sending panicked people pouring into streets but apparently causing no major damage.