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Turkey records 266 aftershocks following powerful Marmara earthquake — interior minister

Ali Yerlikaya noted that "no people were killed in the earthquake," and "no one was injured due to the tremors," meaning that people were hurt because of panic and recklessness

ANKARA, April 24. /TASS/. As many as 266 aftershocks have been recorded after a strong earthquake occurred in the Sea of Marmara near Istanbul on Wednesday, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said.

"After the 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck off the Silivri coast in the Sea of Marmara at 12:49 p.m. local time (9:49 a.m. GMT) yesterday, 266 tremors were recorded until 9 a.m. (6 a.m. GMT) today. Of these, 258 were of magnitude 0 to 4, seven measured between 4 and 5, and one exceeded magnitude 5," the minister told reporters at a briefing.

Yerlikaya noted that "no people were killed in the earthquake," and "no one was injured due to the tremors," meaning that people were hurt because of panic and recklessness.

The authorities "provided 101,000 citizens with the opportunity to take shelter outside their homes," he also pointed out. "Twenty-seven logistics warehouses have been utilized as shelters. As many as 51,000 of those citizens who requested asylum were housed in mosques, while some 50,000 of our people were accommodated in schools and dormitories," the minister said.