Izmit earthquake - occurred on August 17, 1999 near the Turkish city of Izmit, 90 kilometers south of Istanbul. It started at about three in the morning (3:02 local time) and 150 aftershocks occurred within 45 seconds after the main shock. The earthquake focus was located at a depth of 17 km, and its magnitude was 7.6 on the Richter scale . Seismic vibrations were felt at a distance of up to 450 km from the epicenter, in an area with a population of about 18 million people. The length of the tectonic gap was 150 kilometers, stretching from the city of Duzce in the direction of the Sea of Marmara. As a result of the earthquake in the Sea of Marmara, a tsunami occurred, the wave height reached three meters. According to official figures, the number of victims amounted to 17,217 dead (according to others - about 40,000) and 43,959 wounded. About 600 thousand people were left homeless. The damage caused by the earthquake, according to first estimates, exceeded $ 25 billion, but later the amount was adjusted by another 5-7 billion upward [1] .
| Izmit earthquake | |
|---|---|
| Location epicenter | |
Content
- 1 Destruction and sacrifice
- 2 Geology
- 3 International assistance
- 4 See also
- 5 notes
- 6 References
Destruction and sacrifice
According to official figures, the number of victims was 17,217 dead and 43,959 wounded, but many sources cite the following data: about 40,000 were killed and about the same number of wounded. [2] . The corpses of people were buried urgently in mass graves to prevent the spread of disease.
The earthquake caused serious damage to the Turkish economy, so about 120,000 buildings could not be repaired, 50,000 were seriously damaged, about 2,000 buildings settled, several factories were destroyed, a fire broke out at a local oil refinery. It took several days to eliminate it. Power lines and communications were almost destroyed in the city, and water supply lines were seriously damaged. The damage was estimated at 25 billion dollars [3] .
Geology
The length of the crack resulting from the earthquake was 150 kilometers, stretching from the city of Duzce towards the Sea of Marmara . As a result of the earthquake in the Sea of Marmara, a tsunami occurred, the wave height reached 3 meters. Destruction was also recorded in Istanbul .
International Assistance
Thirteen countries provided assistance to the victims of the Izmit earthquake, sending planes with medicines, foodstuffs and specialists for first aid and rescue operations.
| Location | Search and rescue team from: |
|---|---|
| Gölcuk | Bulgaria , Israel , France |
| Yalova | Germany , Bulgaria, Israel, United Kingdom , France, Austria , Romania |
| Istanbul | Germany, Greece , Italy , Azerbaijan |
| Kocaeli | Russia , Bulgaria, France, Germany, Austria, Georgia |
| Sakarya | Bulgaria, Germany, Spain , Egypt |
| Izmit | USA , Switzerland , Georgia |
| Duzce | United Kingdom |
Greece was the first state to provide assistance to Turkey [4] . A few hours after the earthquake, the Greek Foreign Minister contacted his Turkish counterpart, and then sent his representative to Turkey. Greece sent a search and rescue team, as well as several aircraft to eliminate the fire at the refinery.
The United Kingdom provided financial assistance by allocating £ 50,000 from its budget to the Turkish Red Cross branch fund, while the International Committee of the Red Cross allocated £ 4.5 million to help the victims.
The Government of India has allocated 2 million rupees for the aftermath of the earthquake, as well as 32,000 tents.
US President Bill Clinton [5] and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif subsequently visited Istanbul and Izmit.
See also
- The most devastating earthquakes in human history
Notes
- ↑ Batyr Karryev. Here came the earthquake: Hypotheses, Facts, Causes and Consequences .... - SIBIS. - 519 p.
- ↑ Marza, Vasile I. (2004), On the death toll of the 1999 Izmit (Turkey) major earthquake , ESC General Assembly Papers, Potsdam: European Seismological Commission , < http://www.esc-web.org/papers/ potsdam_2004 / ss_1_marza.pdf > . Retrieved August 21, 2009. Archived April 9, 2008 on Wayback Machine
- ↑ Consequences of the Izmit earthquake (inaccessible link)
- ↑ Greek and International Aid to Turkey
- ↑ Bill Clinton visits İzmit, Turkey