Turkey: Istanbul, Other Cities Unprepared for Major Earthquakes

By Larry Habegger | Permalink | No Comments | August 18th, 2010 | Trackback

A study conducted by three universities showed that Istanbul is woefully unprepared for a major earthquake 11 years after the 7.6 magnitude Marmara earthquake killed nearly 17 thousand people and caused billions of dollars in damage. According to the report, an earthquake measuring at least 7.0 would destroy 20 thousand buildings, damage another 200 thousand and kill 200-300 thousand people. Buildings constructed before 1999 need to be retrofitted to strengthen them against earthquakes, and newer construction is also suspect because of corruption and lax enforcement of building standards. The problem is not confined to Istanbul; similar risks exist in many Turkish cities.

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