While there is concern about a possible ‘Great Marmara Earthquake’ in Istanbul, a frightening warning has come for Bingöl and Erzincan. Geological Engineer Prof. Dr. Naci Görür, while drawing attention to the risk of a 7.4 magnitude earthquake especially on the Bingöl-Karlıova-Erzincan line, issued an urgent precaution warning. Answering the questions of ‘Haberglobal.com.tr’, Prof. Dr. Görür said, “We are expecting an earthquake in the Yedisu region between Erzincan, Bingöl, Karlıova. The earthquake recurrence period of the Yedisu fault is over. The last earthquake of magnitude 7 occurred in 1794. If we consider that a major rupture occurs on average every 250 years, the period is over.”
FAULT IS ABOUT TO BREAK!
Prof. Dr. Görür brought the following warnings to the agenda for the fault line, which he described as “very risky”: “This fault line did not break in the 1992 earthquake, as well as in the 1939 Erzincan earthquake. Since there was no break in the February 6 earthquakes, I think there is a significant energy accumulation on the fault. While significant earthquakes occur in important parts of a fault, it is also worrying that its ends have withstood so many earthquakes. Yedisu Fault is about to break. The building and population density in this region is not high, but there is still a great danger. In addition, the fault between Bingöl and Göynük also carries a great earthquake risk. “It is necessary to be prepared for a possible major earthquake, to strengthen structures and to review disaster management plans.”
BE CAREFUL OF PALU!
Geological Engineer Prof. Dr. Okan Tüysüz also drew attention to the fact that the region is at a dangerous point in terms of earthquake potential. Adding that the Yedisu segment is one of the risky lines, Prof. Dr. Tüysüz said, “When we look back, we see that the Yedisu segment is risky. This segment starts from the east of the Erzincan Plain and extends to Karlıova. It is also part of the North Anatolian Fault. There has been no earthquake in this region for nearly 300 centuries. It has the potential to produce earthquakes over 7.2, but we do not know when this will happen. “The section from Karlıova to Bingöl broke in 1971. For this reason, we do not expect an earthquake on this line he mentioned. However, there is a possibility of an earthquake affecting Palu,” he said.
IS IT THE FATE OF ERZINCAN?
On the other hand, the ‘Yedisu Fault’, which experts insistently say carries great risk, is located in the eastern part of the North Anatolian Fault (NAF), between the east of the Erzincan Basin and the Yedisu district of Bingöl province. The Yedisu seismic gap is approximately 75 km long. Erzincan, where warnings were made one after another, had been shaken by major earthquakes in the past. The city, which was one of the cities that suffered the most from earthquakes, suffered great losses in the 1939 and 1992 earthquakes. So much so that in 1939, the city was completely destroyed in an earthquake of magnitude 7.9, and nearly 33 thousand citizens lost their lives. In the earthquakes of 1992, 653 citizens lost their lives, and nearly 4 thousand people were injured.
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