🌍 THE QUAKE THAT COULD END ISTANBUL — Scientists Say It’s Just a Matter of Time
On April 23, 2025, a 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck Istanbul — short, violent, and deeply symbolic. It lasted just 13 seconds, but it has reopened a decades-old question:
Is Istanbul running out of time?
🏚️ While the recent tremor caused structural damage and over 150 injuries, seismologists are issuing a far more chilling warning:
“This was not the Big One. That one is still coming.”
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⚠️ A Faultline That Doesn’t Sleep
Istanbul sits directly atop the North Anatolian Fault Zone, one of the most active seismic zones in the world. The last catastrophic event here — the 1999 İzmit earthquake — killed over 17,000 people.
Now, experts say the fault is “locked and loaded.”
And unlike 1999, today’s Istanbul is even denser, more vertical, and frighteningly underprepared.
📉 One in three buildings may not withstand a major quake.
🏗️ Urban growth has outpaced seismic safety.
🧭 Aftershocks continue — more than 50 since the April 23 tremor.
🕯️ Istanbul’s Countdown
Scientists warn that a stronger quake — potentially over magnitude 7.4 — is not just possible. It’s likely before 2030.
If it strikes at night, or in winter, the outcome could be catastrophic.
"It’s not about if. It’s about when."— Prof. Ayşe Yılmaz, Istanbul Technical University
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