MUĞLA: THE AEGEAN SHIVERS
Quake with a 5.8 magnitude strikes Marmaris, resulting in one fatality and numerous injuries among victims.
In a rollercoaster of seismic activity, Muğla, a coastal gem in southwestern Türkiye, trembled once again after a 5.0-magnitude earthquake rattled the Aegean Sea on June 3, following a 5.8-magnitude temblor that shook Marmaris just hours earlier. Thankfully, the latest quake didn't produce any immediate damage or injuries.
But the reminders of Mother Nature's unpredictable wrath are far from over. The epicenter of the latest quake, located 258 kilometers from Datça, dipped 5.39 kilometers beneath the sea level. AFAD teams are on high alert, monitoring the region for potential aftershocks, with no disruptions in coastal areas spotted so far.
Recall the chaos that unfolded just earlier that morning on June 2, when the Marmaris Fault Zone stirred yet again, resulting in a 5.8-magnitude earthquake. The tragedy struck the residents of Muğla, claiming the life of a 14-year-old girl, Afranur Günlü, who succumbed to a panic attack in the hospital, despite concerted efforts to save her. Over 70 individuals sustained injuries in the ensuing panic, mostly from falling or jumping from great heights.
As the coastline's beating heart, Muğla is the home to some of the most popular seaside resorts drawing in millions of foreign visitors annually, including Marmaris, Bodrum, and Fethiye. Yet, this seismically active region experienced minor structural damage in populated areas, according to Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum.
Beyond its Turkish borders, the earthquake was "broadly felt" in Greece's Dodecanese islands, with some tourists in Rhodes forced to evacuate their hotels. However, reports of injuries were scant. The event also resonated in Egypt, as per the National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics.
Behind this chain of tremors lies the Marmaris Fault Zone, a tectonically active area that marks the boundary between the African and Anatolian plates. Experts, like Professor Hasan Sözbilir of Dokuz Eylül University, warn of the fault's potential to generate earthquakes surpassing magnitude 7. Şükrü Ersoy, another earthquake specialist, asserts that the depth of the quake somewhat mitigated the impact but cautions of the region's potential to produce stronger tremors in the future.
Experts urge residents to steer clear of structurally compromised buildings, fearing aftershocks of up to magnitude 5. Previously, in April, a 6.2-magnitude quake off Istanbul's coast injured at least 236 people in panic-driven incidents. A cascade of aftershocks followed, numbering in the hundreds.
The Marmaris Fault Zone has demonstrated the ongoing seismic risks that Turkey, a region prone to earthquakes, must confront, urging persistence in the effort to map and carefully monitor submarine fault lines in the nation's seismic strategy.
In the wake of these seismic events, it's crucial to prioritize health-and-wellness measures for the residents of Mugla, as the region recovers from the aftermath of the earthquakes. The ongoing science surrounding the Marmaris Fault Zone underscores the importance of understanding the tectonic processes affecting the region, to ultimately improve future preparedness and health outcomes for its inhabitants.
