Panic in Istanbul Café Due to False Earthquake Alarm

A false panic caused by a car's audio system erupted in a café in Istanbul over the weekend. On Saturday evening, patrons rushed out into the street fearing an earthquake, only to find out that the cause was the powerful sound system of a passing vehicle. This was reported by the ‘Birgün’ portal on Sunday.

Surveillance footage shows men engaged in a board game suddenly panicking and hastily leaving the establishment, creating a blockage near the doors. One café visitor, Orhan Keskin, told the publication that the building and windows started shaking violently. “Everyone thought it was an earthquake; I was one of the first to run out,” he noted, adding that there was widespread panic inside, while pedestrians later clarified that no actual tremors had occurred.

It was revealed that the vibrations of the windows were caused by an excessively powerful audio system from a car that approached the building. It is worth noting that a year ago, on April 23, 2025, a 6.2 magnitude earthquake was registered in the Sea of Marmara, which resulted in injuries to 236 people.