4.9 magnitude quake raises concern in Marmara region

ÇANAKKALE

Concerns over an expected large-scale earthquake in the Marmara region have escalated after a tremor measuring 4.9 magnitude struck the area late on March 4.

Felt across Istanbul and neighboring provinces as well, the moderate-sized earthquake occurred in the Yenice district of the northwestern province of Çanakkale at 9:38 p.m., prompting some residents to opt for spending the night in their cars.

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca has reported that a 27-year-old man in Bursa succumbed to injuries after jumping from the second floor in a panic during the earthquake.

Surveillance footage from a market at the epicenter captured the moment when shoppers, startled by the tremor, fled the premises in panic. Numerous social media users shared accounts of feeling the tremor intensely.

"We were bewildered about where to flee. We were very scared. It's the first time I've felt such a strong earthquake," said the owner of a nearby establishment.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya stated that field teams had not reported any adverse conditions.

Following last year's devastating earthquakes that struck 11 southern provinces, claiming over 53,000 lives, experts remain vigilant about the risk of a major disaster in the Marmara region.

Providing information on the March 4 earthquake, geologist Okan Tüysüz noted that the location of the seismic event corresponds to a branch of the North Anatolian Fault that ruptured in 1953.

"Since 1953, there hasn't been sufficient stress accumulation. This fault extends from Bandırma and Erdek to Gemlik... We can say that the possibility of a large earthquake is low."

Highlighting intense seismic activity in the region for about a month and a half, he described these movements as a "seismic storm" while also emphasizing that this activity is not indicative of a destructive earthquake.