On the streets, in the squares and cars by the residents of Constantinople after earthquake The 6.2 Richter that hit Turkey’s big city on Wednesday (23.4.2025).
Over 130 aftershocks followed the great earthquake that hit Constantinople, and now the 6.2 Richter scenario was to be careful, however, the seismologists are still cautious. At the same time it became known that more than 150 people were injured in their attempt to be saved from the earthquake with most falling from the balconies terrified by the vibration.
The estimation that the 6.2 Richter earthquake in Istanbul is not expected to activate tectonic structures in Greece, OASP President Efthimi Lekkas said, speaking on Thursday morning at Mega.
He noted that this rift was delayed characteristically to break, and so we expected a 7.8 -magnitude earthquake. As he said, the whole rift did not break, but part of it.
“When it breaks, which has to break, it will give a greater earthquake,” he said. “This can be done tomorrow or in a few months” and pointed out that this process would not go away.
The three scenarios
“This earthquake is not expected to trigger tectonic structures in Greece, unless we go to larger sizes so we will review our appreciation to see if the Greek space is affected,” he said on Wednesday night on ERT.
The earthquake in Constantinople woke up memories of 1999, when a large 7.8 -magnitude earthquake preceded there, and a few days later Athens was shaken by the Parnitha rift.
Mr Lekkas noted that Marmara’s tectonic rift, from which yesterday’s strong vibration came, could give earthquakes of 7 Richter and stressed that if the intense activity continues there was a risk of damaging Hagia Sophia.
“It broke a small piece of the rift and gave the earthquake of 6.2, of course there is a lot of great energy to relieve it. Three are the scenarios, This first to be the main earthquake And to have a multitude of post -seismic vibrations. The Second scenario is to have 6.2 and then have a larger earthquake up to 7 of the Richter scale and the other scenario is to have a sequence of about 30 earthquakes of 6 degrees so that the energy can be depreciated. Possibly if this sequence continues we will have some damage to Hagia Sophia, “said Lekkas, pointing out the risk of collapse 1/3 of Constantinople’s building, mainly old buildings 50-100 years.
“Marmara’s rift is the end of the Great Northern Anatolian rift, which is one of the most active faults in the world, with a total length of 1500 kilometers, which comes from the province of Bigiol in eastern Turkey and with branches reaching just 20 kilometers from Konstantinos.
The moment a person jumped from the balcony earthquake İstanbul#Earthquake #istanbul pic.twitter.com/mka3eJfDb4
– Hussein Jafo (@husseinjafo) April 23, 2025
«It is the piece that has not been broken and which we have expected to break for 5 years. While delayed, energy accumulated. A small piece of this crack has been activated and the rest of the pieces are essentially released, ”according to the OASP president.
Since 1939 this rift has given Turkey, 7 earthquakes over 7 Richter, with tens of thousands of victims, as many were those who jumped out of the balconies during the earthquake to be saved.