The Turkish authorities have monitored 17,000 earthquakes that have struck the country since the devastating February 6 earthquake, issuing a warning of a strong earthquake in Istanbul.
Earthquakes shake the country… and Istanbul is in danger
A statement by the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Department revealed a set of important information, namely:
- After the February 6, 2023 earthquake in Pazardzhik and Elbistan, nearly 17,000 earthquakes occurred until March 13.
- Monitoring of earthquake activity in the region is continuous by the Presidency of Disaster and Emergency Management around the clock.
- We warn of a strong earthquake in Istanbul.
- Areas and neighborhoods at risk of earthquakes on the Anatolian side and the European side of the densely populated, economically and historically vital city.
Why do tremors persist?
Geological expert, Yahya Al-Qazzaz, explains to “Sky News Arabia” the scientific reasons behind the continuation of aftershocks, and when they can stop.:
- The strength of aftershocks depends on the strength of the shock during the main earthquake.
- The earthquake is caused by a collision between two plates, the Arabian and Anatolian plates.
- When the two plates collided, a violent tremor occurred that affected the adjacent faults.
- The movement may move from the site of the original tremor to other places.
- There are two faults in Turkey, the East Anatolian fault and the North Anatolian fault, and a fracture occurred in the earth’s crust in the East Anatolian fault.
- The collision seems to have been violent, as a result of violent internal energy in the ground.
The disaster continues.. the number of victims is rising
- Turkish Interior Minister Suleiman Soylu confirmed that the death toll in the country as a result of the earthquakes had risen to 48,448.
- The total death toll, including those who died in Syria, has risen to more than 54,000.
- Among the dead in Turkey are 6,660 foreigners, most of them Syrians, while 1,615 victims are being identified, according to Soylu..
In full swing…continuous efforts for reconstruction
- In addition to the dead, the earthquake and its subsequent strong tremors injured more than 115,000 people in Turkey and displaced millions who took refuge in tents or moved to other cities..
- The authorities are rushing to construct container cities to house those homeless from the disaster for the long term.
- The authorities intend to construct 115,585 containers in 239 locations in the affected area.
- To date, 21,000 containers have been set up in 23 locations, housing 85,000 people.
- 433,536 tents have been erected since the earthquake in 354 locations.
