Scots planning a trip to Turkey are being warned about the potential dangers of earthquakes, which pose a "risk to life," after a recent tremor injured 151 people. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has updated its travel advice following a 6.2-magnitude earthquake that struck the Sea of Marmara on April 23.
The FCDO issued a cautionary statement on Thursday, alerting: "Many parts of Turkey regularly experience earthquakes and tremors. These can be high magnitude, cause damage to infrastructure, and pose a risk to life."
The quake, which was felt strongly in Istanbul, has raised concerns over the possibility of aftershocks. Travellers are advised to stay informed by checking Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority's (AFAD) earthquake page for the latest updates on seismic activity in Turkey.
Tourists are also urged to "Follow advice from local authorities, tour operators and accommodation providers. See the US Federal Emergency Management Agency guidance about what to do before, during and after an earthquake."
Moreover, the FCDO highlighted a significant seismic event that occurred earlier this year: "On 6 February a major earthquake hit south-east Turkey, affecting 10 cities including Kahramanmaras, Hatay, Gaziantep and Adiyaman, and the north-west region of Syria. Later that day a second major earthquake occurred in the Elbistan district of Kahramanmaraş, 80 miles north of Gaziantep.", as reported by Birmingham Live, reports Birmingham Live.
Istanbul residents took to Reddit to express their concerns over seismic activity following a recent earthquake. One user highlighted the severity of the anticipated quake by sharing: "Upcoming great Istanbul earthquake is expected to be between 7 - 7.5 magnitudes. Each whole number on the Richter scale is 10 times more ground shaking and releases 32 times more energy so good luck Istanbul."
The potential dangers were underlined when another netizen commented, "I hope not a lot of people got harmed. And this is not the mega earthquake which is statistically supposed to happen some time soon, right?".
A user offered a more pragmatic take on the situation, advising: "The thing is this earthquake should be considered a blessing, because the authorities can actually start preparing for the big one that is long been expected to happen, the countermeasures are not there right now and no one even talked about it until now."
Someone pointed out the regularity of significant earthquakes affecting the city by saying, "Istanbul is hit with a major earthquake in about every 250 years throughout the history. Most people feel like the big one is on the horizon so we better get prepared."
Amid fears and preparation advice, another individual noted: "I think everything will be open but news and seismologists warned everyone to be cautious especially for the next few days. There is very big Istanbul earthquake expected for some time now and they think this one has triggered the big one and they dont really know when it might hit".
One person asked: "We're scheduled to travel tomorrow morning, and I have a couple of questions: Is it safe to travel after the earthquake? And is there any chance it could trigger a stronger one?".
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