A strong, 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck in the North Pacific Ocean near Ecuador on Friday, according to the United States Geological Survey. The temblor happened at 6:44 a.m. Ecuador time about 12 miles northeast of Esmeraldas,

The earthquake struck off the coast of Istanbul on Wednesday leading to scenes of panic in the Turkish metropolis, officials said.

More than 150 people were hospitalized with injuries sustained while attempting to flee buildings, the Istanbul governor's office said.