A Japanese expert warns of a major earthquake and tsunami in Istanbul

2023-05-08 10:39:03

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May 8, 2023

Watan Today: Japanese seismologist, Yoshinori Moriwaki, warned of a 6.8-magnitude earthquake in Bursa and Istanbul, which could be followed by a massive tsunami that would flood the region.
A Japanese seismologist, who made assessments of the possibility and impact of the Bursa and Istanbul earthquakes, warned of a tsunami.
According to the Turkish “Usak Gündemi” website, Moriwaki said: “There are fault lines within the Sea of ​​Marmara, between Yalova and Silivri, that have not been broken, 20 kilometers from Istanbul..and we expect them to be broken.”
He added, “If the fault lines break in this area, there may be a 6.8-magnitude earthquake, but if they break several fault lines together or all of them, a higher intensity earthquake may occur.”
And he continued, warning of a tsunami: “The height of tsunami waves of 50 cm will make it impossible for anyone to swim.. Therefore, after warning of a tsunami, it is necessary to go to the high points.”
The Japanese seismologist stated that the southern branch passes directly under the city of Bursa, and that there is also a fault line that passes through Iznik, adding, “But before that, we can expect some activity on the fault line extending from Inegol to Bursa.”
And he added, “150 years have passed since the devastating earthquake… If we look at the fault lines in western Bandirma, there are points that have not been broken for 250 years,” noting that it is important that new constructions and buildings be done accordingly.
In 2018, a Japanese expert said that Turkey may be exposed to a strong earthquake in the coming years, especially in the vicinity of the Marmara region, similar to the devastating earthquake that struck the country in 1999, leaving thousands of victims, and was considered one of the worst disasters in Turkey’s modern history.
At a conference at the Euphrates University in eastern Anatolia in 2018, Yoshinori Moriwaki said, “Turkey is a country prone to earthquakes, especially in the Marmara Sea region and the Izmit province overlooking it.”
Moriwaki, who has lived in Turkey for 28 years, predicted that an earthquake measuring 7.4 on the Richter scale would occur at any moment during the next 25 years.
He added that there are “many similarities between Turkish and Japanese cultures, but unfortunately there is another common thing, which is earthquakes,” noting that both countries suffered greatly from this disaster.
Turkey is one of the most earthquake-prone regions in the world, with Istanbul located near a large rift
At the time, the Japanese expert referred to a problem facing Turkey in dealing with the earthquake, saying: “People here are not qualified and familiar with earthquakes.”
He stressed that if the authorities take the necessary preparations, the effects of the earthquake could be reduced to about 70 percent
On August 19, 1999, Turkey was exposed to a devastating earthquake that struck the Marmara region for 45 seconds, with a magnitude of 7.5 on the Richter scale, and was considered the worst seismic disaster in Turkey’s modern history.
The earthquake killed more than 17,000 people, damaged more than 285,000 buildings and displaced 600,000.
On February 6, 2023, two earthquakes measuring 7.7 and 7.6 degrees struck southern Turkey and northern Syria, followed by thousands of violent aftershocks, leaving thousands dead and massive destruction.