An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.2 shook Istanbul and other areas Wednesday, prompting widespread panic and scores of injuries in the Turkish city of 16 million people, though there were no immediate reports of serious damage. More than 150 people were hospitalized with injuries sustained while trying to jump from buildings, said the governor's office in Istanbul, where residents are on tenterhooks because the city is considered at high risk for a major quake. The earthquake had a shallow depth of 10 kilometers (about 6 miles), according to the United States Geological Survey, with its epicenter about 40 kilometers (25 miles) southwest of Istanbul, in the Sea of Marmara. It was felt in the neighboring provinces of Tekirdag, Yalova, Bursa, and Balikesir,r and in the city of Izmir, some 550 kilometers (340 miles) south of Istanbul. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the earthquake lasted 13 seconds and was followed by more than 50 aftershocks — the strongest measuring 5.9. The quake started at 12:49 p.m. during a public holiday when many children were out of school and celebrating in the streets of Istanbul. Panicked residents rushed from their homes and buildings into the streets. The disaster and emergency management agency urged people to stay away from buildings. “Due to panic, 151 of our citizens were injured from jumping from heights,” the Istanbul governor's office said in a statement. “Their treatments are ongoing in hospitals, and they are not in life-threatening condition.” Many residents flocked to parks, school yards, and other open areas to avoid being near buildings in case of collapse or subsequent earthquakes. Some people pitched tents in parks. "Thank God, there does not seem to be any problems for now," President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at an event marking the National Sovereignty and Children’s Day holiday. "May God protect our country and our people from all kinds of calamities, disasters, accidents, and troubles.” Leyla Ucar, a personal trainer, said she was exercising with her student on the 20th floor of a building when they felt intense shaking. Turkey’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said authorities had not received reports of collapsed buildings. He told HaberTurk television that there had been reports of damage to buildings. The NTV broadcaster reported that a derelict and abandoned former residential building had collapsed in the historic Fatih district, which houses the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque. Education Minister Yusuf Tekin announced that schools would be closed on Thursday and Friday in Istanbul.