A CNN anchor in Turkey continued reporting live Wednesday as her studio was rattled by a 6.2-magnitude earthquake that injured hundreds in and around Istanbul.
Footage making the rounds on social media shows CNN Türk anchor Meltem Bozbeyoğu’s broadcast shortly before 1 p.m. In the video, she grips her desk with one hand and holds up the other as the building shakes and her voice quavers. She quickly returns to form as the tremors subside.
“6.2 Magnitude earthquake hit Istanbul today. No substantial damage or loss of life has been reported so far,” journalist Ragip Soylu captioned the clip on X.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the 13-second quake — which was felt in Istanbul and multiple Turkish provinces — was followed by more than 100 aftershocks, including a 5.9-magnitude one.
The quake occurred during a public holiday, National Sovereignty and Children’s Day, while many were celebrating in the streets of the Turkish capital. Health Minister Kemal Memisolgu said 236 were treated for injuries. A dozen buildings were evacuated and nearly 400 instances of “structural damage” were reported to officials.
Memisoglu attributed those injuries to people who were “affected by panic attacks and from falls or from jumping.” Of the 236, 173 occurred in Istanbul.
The city is considered high-risk for earthquakes, which regularly occur there thanks to the two major fault lines on which Turkey sits.
Panic set in for citizens given the deadly 7.8-magnitude earthquake that rocked Turkey and Syria in February 2023, only for a 7.7-magnitude tremor to hit hours later.
Though Istanbul did not suffer from those tremors, over 53,000 were killed in Turkey and another 6,000 people in Syria.
With News Wire Services
