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Shafaq News
08-02-2025
- Business
- Shafaq News
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.
Shafaq News
06-02-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Istanbul at risk of huge earthquakes, experts warn
Shafaq News/ Scientists have warned that Turkiye remains critically unprepared for a major earthquake, putting hundreds of thousands of lives at risk and threatening billions of dollars in economic losses. Seismologist Naci Görür told Germany's dpa news agency that Istanbul alone could see nearly 100,000 buildings collapse in the event of a powerful quake. 'The potential death toll could reach hundreds of thousands,' Görür said, urging authorities to take immediate action to reinforce critical infrastructure and improve emergency preparedness. Turkiye sits on the North Anatolian Fault Line, one of the world's most active seismic zones, making Istanbul, the country's largest city and economic hub, highly vulnerable to earthquakes. Despite this risk, preparedness measures remain inadequate, Görür warned. He emphasized that current policies and urban planning efforts are "not enough to mitigate the potential devastation of a large-scale earthquake." His concerns were echoed by Turkish Minister of Urban Development Murat Kurum, who acknowledged that Istanbul's infrastructure is "not capable of withstanding a major tremor." The warnings come as Turkiye continues to recover from the February 2023 earthquakes, which killed more than 53,000 people and injured over 100,000 in the country's southeastern region. The last catastrophic earthquake to strike Istanbul was in 1999, when a 7.6-magnitude quake devastated the city's eastern region, killing more than 17,000 people and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless. Experts fear that a major earthquake in Istanbul would be devastating, given the city's dense population, aging infrastructure, and insufficient emergency response measures. Seismologists and urban planners have called on the Turkish government to take swift action, reinforcing high-risk buildings and developing a comprehensive emergency response strategy. 'The time to act is now,' Görür warned. 'We cannot afford to wait until it's too late.'
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Experts warn Turkey remains unprepared for next major quake
Two years after the devastating earthquakes in south-eastern Turkey, scientists are warning that the country remains unprepared for anticipated future quakes, putting hundreds of thousands at risk. The warning comes as the country still strives to heal the scars from the February 2023 twin-quake disaster that killed more than 53,000 and left over 100,000 wounded in Turkey. Turkey sits on the notorious Northern Anatolian fault line, which lies close to the the country's largest metropolis and financial hub Istanbul. A 7.4-magnitude earthquake in 1999, east of Istanbul, killed more than 17,000 people. Scientists estimate that an earthquake of around magnitude-7 is overdue in Istanbul, with a population of 16 million people. In Istanbul alone, around 100,000 buildings are at high risk of collapsing where "hundreds of thousands" could die, earthquake researcher Naci Görür told dpa. The financial impact of such a disaster could reach billions of dollars, according to experts. Neither the authorities nor the locals are seriously aware of the danger, said Görür, adding measures to make cities in Turkey earthquake-resistant are not sufficient. Many buildings vulnerable to collapse in a major quake have yet to be rebuilt or reinforced warns Sükrü Ersoy, geology professor at Istanbul's Yildiz Technical University. "And given the high population density, damage is difficult to avoid even with appropriate planning," Ersoy said. Turkish Urban Development Minister Murat Kurum said Istanbul would not be able to withstand an earthquake. A total of 1.5 million homes and commercial units are considered to be at high risk. The Istanbul-based Kandilli earthquake observatory puts the probability of an earthquake with a magnitude of over 7 by 2030 at %60. The epicentre of the expected earthquake is about 15 kilometres from the city in the Sea of Marmara, where a tectonic plate boundary runs. Around 400,000 people still live in temporary container cities in Turkey's south-east two years since the devastating twin-quake, the country's disaster authority AFAD told dpa. Nearly 40,000 buildings collapsed in the 2023 quakes, according to AFAD data. More than another 200,000 buildings were severely damaged across 11 cities and provinces. Experts back then contended the buildings had major construction defects while the government had come under fire over lack of audits. The government promised all of the displaced would be relocated to newly built homes by the end of 2025. Many homes were rebuilt and many more are under condition. Local unions, however, see rebuilding efforts as taking much longer. Building of all the required new units would take another four years, according to the Turkish Chamber of Construction Engineers (IMO). Besides, locals in the quake region still face health, environmental and logistical issues, including power cuts and sanitary conditions amid ongoing rubble removal efforts, IMO chairwoman Sinem Kolgu told reporters in Istanbul on Thursday. "New disasters are at our doorstep as long as professional unions are ignored and those in charge are not held accountable for not taking precautions for so many years," warned Kolgu.
