The North Anatolian geological fault stumbling upon the Marmara area of Turkey can creating a magnitude 7 or above earthquake at any offered time in the next 30 years. The geological fault is right under Istanbul, the cultural and financial engine of Turkey and a world heritage website. The city is 3,000 years of ages and house to 16 million individuals. Experts state a significant earthquake here will trigger unimaginable damage if the city is not all set in time.
In 1999, a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck the Marmara area of Turkey, killing a minimum of 17,000 individuals. It likewise burst some parts of the North Anatolian geological fault, producing a time bomb under the city of Istanbul.
Experts caution that a magnitude 7 or above earthquake might strike the city at any offered time in the next 30 years.
According to Istanbul town’s estimates, a minimum of 250,000 structures will deal with moderate to serious damage, threatening the lives of 16 million locals residing in the metropolitan area.
“We are not ready,” stated Naci Gorur, a geologist and teacher at Istanbul TechnicalUniversity “I’m afraid an earthquake in Istanbul will cause even more destruction than what we witnessed in the Kahramanmaras earthquake that struck Turkey’s south in February 2023.”
Istanbul struggles with largely inhabited locations with a bothersome structure stock. The federal government thinks reconstructing the whole city is the only option.
But critics state reconstructing efforts are mainly focused in lucrative locations, preferring the nation’s building and construction market.
“We cannot keep building anywhere and everywhere just because it will sell. There is absolutely no control for urban expansion and density” stated Yasemin Didem Aktas, a structural engineer from University College London.
“It’s not a question of if but when” stated Osman Ozbulut, a teacher of civil engineering at University ofVirginia “We need to start designing buildings to a higher standard if we want to be ready.”
Watch the video above to comprehend how a mega city gets ready for a significant catastrophe.
