Terrified CNN anchor interrupted by Istanbul earthquake on live TV
A CNN presenter was in the middle of interviewing a guest live on air when an earthquake in Turkey shook the studio so hard that she asked for her mother.
Three earthquakes, as strong as 6.2 magnitudes, hit in quick succession before 1pm local time today.
Its epicentre was 40km south of Istanbul, around 10km beneath the Sea of Maramara, but it was close enough to send shockwaves through Turkey’s biggest city.
Travel advice for anyone from the UK is being constantly updated by the Home Office, however, it told Metro there are no current warnings in place.
Live TV captured the moment CNN Türk anchor Meltem Bozbeyoglu realised what was happening.
After calmly trying to pause the interview while the studio started shaking, the growing tremors caused panic to set in.
The anchor then asked a producer: ‘Can you reach my mother?’
The earthquake had a shallow depth of 10km (Picture: Metro)
The first thing people did once in safety was call to check on their loved ones (Picture: Murat Sengul/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Outside, customers flooded the streets from cafés and shops.
‘There are no reports of any loss of life or destruction as of now’, said the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD).
No buildings are known to have collapsed.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said:’I offer my best wishes to our citizens affected by the earthquake.
‘May God protect our country and our nation from disasters.’
Outside away from the potential of falling buildings is often the safest place to be in an earthquake (Picture: Hakan Akgun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Football team Fenerbahçe SK released a statement on X: ‘We hope that there will be no loss of life or property following the earthquake that occurred in the Marmara Sea and was felt in Istanbul and the surrounding provinces; we convey our get well wishes to all our citizens.’
It’s been just over two years since a 7.8 magnitude earthquake killed 53,000 people in Turkey and 6,000 in Syria in February 2023.
While that devastated the hundreds of miles from Istanbul, the images of death and destruction still put fear into the residents of this city.
Turkey sits on two major fault lines – one of which is in the south and southwest near the Syrian border.
The other is the reason Istanbul is famous for straddling both Europe and Asia – the fault line cuts through the Marmara Sea, making it prone to earthquakes.
For years Istanbullites have anticipated one as powerful and destructive as in 2023.
While the city seemingly escaped unscathed today, it may be a reminder that it’s only a matter of time.
World Affairs Correspondent
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