About 90,000 buildings could be at risk of collapsing if a major earthquake strikes Turkey’s largest city, Istanbul, the city’s mayor, Ekrum Imamoglu has warned, after the country was hit by a devastating earthquake that has led to at least 40,000 deaths since February 6.
Turkey sits atop multiple fault lines and is prone to earthquakes.
The current estimate of buildings at risk of collapse in a quake is nearly twice as large as the previous administration believed, Imamoglu was quoted as saying when he appeared on a Turkish TV program as rescue efforts for survivors have entered the tenth day.
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Thousands of buildings collapsed following last week’s deadly quake and there are fears that the region might still see earthquakes of lesser magnitudes.
“We have to move very fast” to improve the structures and bring them in line with Turkey’s construction codes for building in earthquake-prone areas, Imamoglu said.
He added that some 317,000 structures were granted amnesties.
Story was adapted from npr.
