Aegean Sea tremor: No damage reported

Shafaq News/ A 4.8-magnitude earthquake struck the Aegean Sea off western Turkiye on Friday evening, the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) reported.

According to the AFAD, the tremor occurred at 15:17 GMT (6:17 PM Baghdad time) at a depth of 7 kilometers beneath the sea. No casualties or damage were recorded.

This earthquake is part of a series of tremors affecting the region since January 28, with magnitudes ranging between 4.1 and 4.8. Meanwhile, frequent seismic activity has also been reported in Greece’s Cyclades Islands, particularly Santorini, raising concerns about potential volcanic activity.

Earlier on Thursday, seismologists warned that Istanbul, Turkiye’s largest city, remains critically unprepared for a high-magnitude earthquake, which could cause widespread destruction. Naci Görür, a leading seismologist, estimated that 100,000 buildings could collapse, potentially resulting in hundreds of thousands of casualties.

Minister of Urban Development Murat Kurum acknowledged that Istanbul’s current infrastructure is not equipped to withstand a powerful tremor and called for urgent reinforcement measures.

In turn, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, speaking at a commemoration event in Adiyaman, outlined the devastating toll of the February 2023 earthquakes, which resulted in 53,537 deaths, over 107,000 injuries, and displaced millions across 11 provinces. The disaster caused a direct financial loss of $104 billion, with indirect costs reaching $150 billion.

To address the crisis, Turkiye has launched an unprecedented reconstruction plan, aiming to build 453,000 housing units by the end of the year. Erdoğan emphasized that no citizen will be left without a home or workplace.

Notably, Turkiye sits on the North Anatolian Fault Line, one of the world’s most active seismic zones, leaving Istanbul’s aging infrastructure highly vulnerable.