Istanbul faces the collapse of 90,000 buildings in the event of an earthquake of more than seven points

Serdar Ozsoy/Keystone News Agency

About 90,000 buildings located in Istanbul could collapse as a result of an earthquake. This opinion was expressed by the head of the city administration, Ekrem Imamoglu, in an interview with tv100.

The city’s mayor pointed out that currently, at least 90,000 buildings in Istanbul are in the high-risk zone, and another 170,000 buildings are in the medium-risk zone. According to Imamoglu, the authorities are already taking steps to resolve this problem. In particular, they negotiate with contractors to reinforce existing buildings or demolish old ones.

“We tell citizens that we will either build a new building or reinforce the existing one. It is important to tell them: we will ensure that your house does not become your grave,” he said.

A strong earthquake struck Turkey on February 6. According to preliminary data, around 45,000 people died as a result of the collapses. Seismologists warn that a new earthquake could soon occur in the Istanbul region.