Scientists: Time running out to save Istanbul from major earthquake
Seismologists are calling for urgent measures to prepare Istanbul for a major earthquake expected in the near future, warning of catastrophic destruction in Turkey’s most populous city and economic capital.
ISTANBUL — The devastating earthquakes in Turkey’s southeast have sounded alarms over sluggish preparations for a long-feared earth tremor in Istanbul that scientists say is likely in the near future, with potentially catastrophic consequences for the country’s most populous historic city and economic hub.
The Feb. 6 quakes, which hit with magnitudes of 7.8 and 7.6, killing more than 43,500 people and destroying thousands of buildings across 11 provinces, were the deadliest in quake-prone Turkey since two powerful tremors struck northwestern regions near Istanbul in 1999, claiming about 20,000 lives.
