Aegean Sea tremor: No damage reported
Shafaq News/ A 4.8-magnitude earthquake struck the Aegean Sea off western Turkiye on Friday evening, the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) reported.
According to the AFAD, the tremor occurred at 15:17 GMT (6:17 PM Baghdad time) at a depth of 7 kilometers beneath the sea. No casualties or damage were recorded.
This earthquake is part of a series of tremors affecting the region since January 28, with magnitudes ranging between 4.1 and 4.8. Meanwhile, frequent seismic activity has also been reported in Greece's Cyclades Islands, particularly Santorini, raising concerns about potential volcanic activity.
Earlier on Thursday, seismologists warned that Istanbul, Turkiye's largest city, remains critically unprepared for a high-magnitude earthquake, which could cause widespread destruction. Naci Görür, a leading seismologist, estimated that 100,000 buildings could collapse, potentially resulting in hundreds of thousands of casualties.
Minister of Urban Development Murat Kurum acknowledged that Istanbul's current infrastructure is not equipped to withstand a powerful tremor and called for urgent reinforcement measures.
In turn, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, speaking at a commemoration event in Adiyaman, outlined the devastating toll of the February 2023 earthquakes, which resulted in 53,537 deaths, over 107,000 injuries, and displaced millions across 11 provinces. The disaster caused a direct financial loss of $104 billion, with indirect costs reaching $150 billion.
To address the crisis, Turkiye has launched an unprecedented reconstruction plan, aiming to build 453,000 housing units by the end of the year. Erdoğan emphasized that no citizen will be left without a home or workplace.
Notably, Turkiye sits on the North Anatolian Fault Line, one of the world's most active seismic zones, leaving Istanbul's aging infrastructure highly vulnerable.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Shafaq News
an hour ago
- Shafaq News
Iran retaliation feared: US reinforces Syria bases
Shafaq News/ The US military has raised alert levels at several bases in Syria amid escalating fears of Iranian escalation following Israel's Operation Rising Lion, which targeted Iranian nuclear and military facilities, a Syrian source told Shafaq News on Saturday. US forces recently moved advanced radar and air defense systems from Iraq into northeastern Syria. The two-week operation involved over 100 trucks crossing the al-Waleed border into Hasakah province. Late Friday, flares illuminated the sky above the Khrab al-Jeer base near Rmelan—previously hit by rocket and drone attacks allegedly launched from Iraqi territory—as US defenses reportedly intercepted an Iranian drone targeting the site. Security concerns are intensifying as regional actors fear Iran-aligned groups, particularly factions within the Axis of Resistance, may once again launch attacks from Iraqi territory targeting US positions inside Syria. US troops at key locations—including al-Shaddadi, Deir ez-Zor, and al-Tanf in southeastern Homs—have been placed on high alert, with heightened security measures in place across all installations. While US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed Israel acted independently, he noted Washington was informed in advance and warned Tehran against striking US personnel or assets in response. Meanwhile, an Iraqi security official told Shafaq News that over 700 US nationals—mostly embassy staff and contractors—have been evacuated from the US Embassy in Baghdad over the past 48 hours as a precaution.
Shafaq News
an hour ago
- Shafaq News
Iran arrests 19 over alleged links to Israel
Shafaq News/ On Saturday, Iran's security authorities arrested 19 individuals allegedly tied to Israel, amid continued military escalation between the two countries. According to a brief statement carried by state media, 14 suspects were apprehended in Hormozgan, southeastern Iran. Officials claimed the group had links to Tel Aviv and was involved in Israeli 'terrorist attacks' in the province. No further details were provided about the nature of the operations or the suspects' roles. Separately, the Prosecutor's Office in Yazd Province reported the arrest of five others accused of filming 'sensitive sites' and coordinating with Israeli entities. It confirmed that the group also contributed to public unrest through social media activity. Additional security operations were reportedly carried out in Zanjan and Kermanshah, where authorities intercepted two vehicles carrying drones. Three more individuals were detained on suspicion of infiltration and conducting 'suspicious movements' inside Iranian territory. Iran's intelligence services issued public alerts, urging citizens to remain vigilant and report unidentified vehicles. The Ministry of Intelligence called for immediate notification of any suspicious activity that could endanger public order. The wave of arrests coincides with an intensifying confrontation between Iran and Israel. On Friday, Israel launched what it described as its largest aerial assault on Iranian territory, targeting nuclear infrastructure and military positions. The attack prompted Iran to retaliate with hundreds of missiles toward Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv.
Shafaq News
an hour ago
- Shafaq News
Iraqi airspace: an active corridor in escalating Israel-Iran conflict
Shafaq News/ The military confrontation between Israel and Iran has turned Iraqi airspace into a dangerous transit zone for missiles and warplanes from both sides, exposing the country's skies to unprecedented activity in the absence of a modern air defense system. Security sources told Shafaq News that Israeli warplanes crossed into Iraqi airspace through several flight paths to carry out missile strikes deep inside Iranian territory, including strategic sites in and around Tehran. In response, Iran launched multiple waves of long-range ballistic missiles toward Israel, several of which were detected passing through Iraqi skies. These missile trajectories spanned various regions across the country. The heavy use of Iraqi airspace led to debris from intercepted or malfunctioning missiles falling over populated areas. Shafaq News correspondent reported that a missile fuel tank landed on a residential home in al-Husseiniyah, north of Baghdad, causing material damage but no casualties. Additional missile fragments were also reported in western Iraq. Residents in Baghdad, Babil, Diyala, Kirkuk, and Saladin reported hearing loud explosions and the sound of missiles flying overhead during the overnight hours. A security source described the situation as a de facto transformation of Iraqi skies into an active missile corridor. "There is a state of heightened security alert, but Iraq currently lacks the practical means to intercept or neutralize such threats," the source said, noting that the country still does not possess a modern air defense system or an integrated network to safeguard its airspace from regional conflict spillovers. While the Iraqi government has shut down civilian air traffic as a precautionary measure, military flights and missile traffic through Iraqi airspace have persisted. On Friday evening, security sources confirmed that Iranian missiles and drones heading toward Israel were intercepted over Iraq and Syria. In one incident, a missile fell on farmland along the road connecting Najaf and Karbala after being intercepted, sparking a fire that was extinguished by Najaf's civil defense teams. A source familiar with the matter told Shafaq News that US forces played a role in intercepting Iranian projectiles bound for Israel, and the missile that fell in Najaf may have been among those targeted by American defense systems. In southern Iraq, two drone incidents were reported on Saturday in Dhi Qar province. A security source said that one drone crashed in a desert area near al-Hamaira in Qalaat Sukkar district, while another crashed in a nearby agricultural zone known as Umm al-Qata'. Both areas are located in the northern part of the province. Security forces retrieved the wreckage from both crash sites for analysis. Preliminary reports suggest that one of the drones may have been the Iranian-made 'Arash' model, known for its long-range capabilities.
