A magnitude 3.3 earthquake hit the Sea of Marmara off the coast of Istanbul on Sunday, the Disaster Management Authority (AFAD) said.
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According to seismologists, the focus of the earthquake, recorded at 18.29, lay at a depth of 7.7 kilometers, the epicenter is located in the sea between the city of Yalova and the Tuzla region on the outskirts of Istanbul.
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In turn, seismologists at the Kandilli Observatory estimated the magnitude at 3.6 and the depth at 14 kilometers.
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No tremors were felt in the European part of Istanbul.
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Scientists predict a powerful earthquake of magnitude above 7 in Istanbul and the Sea of Marmara region, the economic consequences will be felt by the whole of Turkey, Haluk Eyidogan, professor of seismology, member of the Council of Scientists of the Istanbul Mayor’s Office on Earthquakes told earlier.
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One of the branches of the North Anatolian fault runs in the Sea of Marmara exactly off the coast of Istanbul.
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The whole of Turkey will experience a significant negative economic impact from the earthquake, as Istanbul provides 35% of the country’s GDP, Eyidogan said.
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Turkish authorities plan to resettle residents of about 1.5 million apartments in Istanbul, located in non-seismic houses, said in March, the former Turkish Minister of Urban Development Murat Kurum. Istanbul’s opposition mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, criticized the plans, pointing to problems with the city’s overcrowding.
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Imamoglu previously presented the mayor’s office’s plans to prepare for the earthquake and stated that it is inevitable, but it is impossible to predict exactly when the elements will strike. According to the mayor’s office, in the event of an earthquake of magnitude 7.5, at least 90 thousand buildings will collapse, about 4.5 million citizens may need temporary housing.
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In April, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced plans to create “reserve” cities on the banks of the planned Istanbul Canal to resettle earthquake-dangerous areas.
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Earthquakes of magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 occurred on February 6 with an interval of nine hours in the province of Kahramanmaras in southeastern Turkey. The tremors, followed by hundreds of aftershocks, were felt in 11 provinces of the country and neighboring states, including Syria. More than 55,000 people have died in Turkey, according to the latest data.
