One and a half million buildings in Istanbul are considered at risk in the event of an earthquake, said Turkish Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Murat Kurum at a press conference today, quoted by Haberturk TV, writes BTA.
"The biggest reality of our country is earthquakes", said Minister Kurum at the headquarters of the Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate (AFAD) and called for the completion of the building transformation that has begun, the aim of which is to strengthen the risky buildings in the country's earthquake zones, because in his words "risky buildings kill".
"We know that there are 1.5 million risky buildings in Istanbul, 30 percent of which are buildings that need to be transformed urgently. We have no time to waste in the face of this picture," the minister said.
After yesterday's 6.2-magnitude earthquake with an epicenter in the Sea of Marmara, which shook Istanbul and frightened its residents, 266 aftershocks have been recorded, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said at the same press conference.