Istanbul, Turkiye – For five terrifying seconds, buildings shook, shelves toppled, and panic rippled through Istanbul, Turkiye’s cultural and economic heart.

The ground beneath Istanbul trembled at 12:49pm (09:49 GMT) on Wednesday, sending millions scrambling into the streets as a magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck in the sea off the city’s western coast. Several smaller aftershocks have followed, with magnitudes of between 3.5 and 5.9.

No major damage was reported according to authorities, although Istanbul Governor Davut Gul said that at least 151 people were injured after jumping from heights to escape in a panic.

The quake, centred near Silivri in the Sea of Marmara, revived painful memories of past disasters and left residents grappling with fear over what might come next.

In the upscale Nisantasi district, 69-year-old Bilge was at home when her building suddenly rattled.

“People in the building screamed ‘earthquake!’ and ran outside. My hands wouldn’t stop shaking,” she told Al Jazeera, describing crowds spilling onto the sidewalks, clutching phones to check on loved ones.

Nearby, coffee shop workers rushed out into the street. “We were just calling our families,” one said, as aftershocks continued to ripple across the city.

The earthquake coincided with National Sovereignty and Children’s Day, a public holiday, leading to the cancellation of events and heightened public anxiety.

Parents were seen walking through the streets with their children still dressed for celebrations.

“I was on the seventh floor, just about to make lunch,” said Zeynep Karatas, 41, a freelance designer from Sisli who had come to Nisantasi’s Macka Park with hundreds of others who wanted the safety of an open space.

“The walls in my building cracked, the glasses clinked. I didn’t wait – I grabbed my cat and ran,” said Karatas.

She joined dozens of neighbours already gathered outside. Some clutched pets, others their phones, trying to contact relatives. “We all ran out together. Strangers were helping elderly people down the stairs. I felt like crying,” she added.

Some in the park are anxious, and say they will stay awake as long as possible at night. Others are planning to pack a small bag in case they need to leave their home quickly.

Turkiye’s emergency authority AFAD has warned residents to stay alert, as aftershocks can continue for hours, even days.

While initial reports indicated little structural damage, the psychological impact was immediate.

“Everyone was talking about 2023,” said Baran Demir, 62, referring to the devastating earthquake that killed more than 53,000 people in southern Turkiye, and another 6,000 people in Syria. “You could see it on people’s faces, that same fear. My building didn’t collapse then, but the memory came rushing back.”

In Nisantasi, 35-year-old cafe worker Mehmet was helping usher customers outside when the aftershocks hit. “Everyone stayed calm, but the mood shifted fast. We just kind of held our breath. We thought this was the big one we’ve been waiting for.”

Residents of Istanbul have long feared a major earthquake hitting the city, as has happened in the past. Earthquakes with a magnitude greater than 7 have hit Istanbul in 1509, 1766 and 1894, causing thousands of deaths and large-scale destruction. A 1999 earthquake in Izmit, approximately 100 kilometres (62 miles) east of Istanbul, killed more than 17,000 people.

The city lies near the North Anatolian Fault, a major fault line that regularly triggers earthquakes.

Improved building codes in recent decades are designed to counteract the effect of earthquakes in the densely populated city, but many are still worried.

“I’m scared to sleep tonight,” said Gokhan, an elderly man who lives alone. “What if there are strong aftershocks tonight, I can’t move quickly,” he says with a wry smile. “If it’s my time, it’s my time.”

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