Japanese expert expects Marmara earthquake within two decades

ELAZIĞ

A Japanese expert has warned that an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 could hit Turkey’s Marmara region within the next 25 years.

Speaking at a conference at Fırat University in the eastern province of Elazığ, Yoshinori Moriwaki said that he had been living in Turkey for 28 years.

“There are many similarities between the Turkish and Japanese cultures and unfortunately we also have another thing in common: earthquakes. Both countries have suffered a lot from earthquakes,” he said.

The expert noted that Turkey is an earthquake-prone country and particularly the Marmara region and its İzmit province stand out.

“But people are not well educated and informed about the quakes,” he added.

Moriwaki claimed that the expected big earthquake in the Marmara region will have a magnitude of 7.4, similar to one that hit the İzmit province back in 1999.

“If we are prepared for this, the devastating impact of the earthquake could be reduced by 70 percent,” he also said.

The 1999 quake with the magnitude of 7.5 hit the Marmara region, the most industrial and densely populated region of the country, killing 17,480 people.

Over 285,000 buildings were damaged and 600,000 people were left homeless after the 45-second quake, which left social and economic wounds that took years to heal.