Warnings of a devastating quake in Istanbul have intensified as seismologist Naji Gurur warned of the possibility of a magnitude 10+ quake and the city’s mayor urged science to reduce losses.
A Turkish expert stated in press statements that: “There is a seismic gap in Istanbul, and when this gap is bridged, there will be a great and devastating earthquake in the Sea of Marmara.”
He added that in some areas the magnitude of the earthquake will be 10 on the Richter scale, and it will consist of two consecutive earthquakes, and due to their intensity, they can be considered as 4 earthquakes at the same time.
He pointed out that the Asian side would suffer less than the European side in places off the coast where it would be very strong.
The Turkish expert explained that the intensity of the earthquake will decrease to 9 points in parts parallel to the coast and in the direction of the northern regions.
For his part, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu warned of the possibility of a strong earthquake in this city, which is home to about 16 million people and is home to many historical and archaeological sites.
İmamoğlu said: “We cannot continue to live the way we lived in the past, because one day there will be a strong earthquake in Istanbul, and this is inevitable. Therefore, we must restore everything and use science.”
In addition, Ali Banar, a researcher at the Kandil Observatory of Seismological Observations in Istanbul, said that there is a high probability that this city will be prone to a strong earthquake due to “the continuous movement of the fault in the northern part of the Anatolian region, which causes strong earthquakes.”
He added: “Last year we recorded more than twenty thousand seismic events in the region. Several thousand of them exceeded three points on the Richter scale”, predicting that “one day an earthquake will occur in the city, and it will be devastating.”
On February 6, a strong earthquake hit Turkey, killing more than 45,000 people and destroying thousands of buildings.
Source: AFP + Hurriyet
