Mega city waiting for a big earthquake like Istanbul: Tehran

The Kahramanmaraş earthquakes, where the loss of lives exceeded 39,000, caused great unrest in cities around the world, where a major earthquake is expected, as well as in Istanbul.

One such city is Tehran, the capital of Iran, a neighboring country where earthquakes occur frequently. As earthquakes that caused great destruction in 11 provinces of Turkey and northern Syria choked Turkey, Tehran, like Istanbul, began to discuss the expected major earthquake.

Tehran city council president Mehdi Shamran said in a statement after the February 6 quakes: “An earthquake in Tehran would be the disaster of the century.” In November 2022, Tehran Mayor Ali Reza Zakani stated that if they published a list of unstable buildings in the city, no one would want to stay in Tehran and used the expressions “If they saw the truth, everyone would run away”.

Scientists have warned for many years that an earthquake with a magnitude greater than 7 is expected in Tehran. There are 6 separate major faults and 60 minor faults in the city, whose population is over 16 million. According to a 2020 report, Tehran ranks first among megacities with high earthquake risk.

NUMBER OF BUILDINGS AT RISK MORE THAN 33 THOUSAND

It is feared that a possible earthquake will cause a great loss of life in the city due to the population density and unplanned urbanization.

According to experts, Tehran is hit by an earthquake of at least 7 on the Richter scale approximately every 150 years, and the last major earthquake was 190 years ago. As in Istanbul, although this issue has been discussed for years in Tehran, the measures taken are limited.

In the city, where zoning laws are insufficient, more than 33 thousand buildings are very risky according to official authorities. Hospitals in particular are said to be highly vulnerable to earthquakes.

POPULATION EXPLOSION IN THE LAST 30-40 YEARS

Tehran is very similar to Istanbul in many ways. Millions of Iranians have flocked to the capital in the last 30 to 40 years due to a lack of job opportunities in rural areas. That’s why people can’t leave Tehran because they can’t find work elsewhere.

In the 1990s, many green areas were developed and high-rise buildings were erected in the city.

Due to high inflation, Iranians prefer to invest in real estate. However, many buildings are built on narrow roads without proper zoning plans or engineering services. Illegal construction is also a major problem in Tehran.

In addition, the possibility of a major earthquake causing fires in Tehran is a matter of great concern.