Many Istanbul residents have spent the night outdoors, too fearful to return to their homes, following a strong earthquake and over 180 aftershocks.

A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 has struck Istanbul, Turkey, according to a report from news agency Reuters, citing the country's Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD). The quake was part of a series of tremors that shook the region on Wednesday.

A magnitude 5.2 earthquake that shook Monday morning in Southern California was followed by multiple other aftershocks, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.