Istanbul: A poll confirms that the majority of Istanbul residents fear a devastating earthquake that may not be far off. According to National Iraqi News Agency, a poll published today by the Turkish newspaper Zaman revealed that the majority of Istanbul residents fear a devastating earthquake similar to the 1999 Marmara earthquake, which measured 7.4 on the Richter scale.

The poll, conducted by the Istanbul Planning Agency (IPA), a subsidiary of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, showed that 69.6% of respondents believe Istanbul faces an imminent risk of a devastating earthquake, while 70.8% expressed concern about this possibility. The poll, which relied on direct telephone interviews with 751 people, highlighted that the 18-35 age group recorded the highest levels of anxiety, with women being more worried than men (78% compared to 63.5%).

In the ranking of the most feared natural disasters in Istanbul, an earthquake came in first place by a wide margin (91.5%), significantly surpassing the risks of fires, forest fires, floods, and flash floods. Despite these heightened concerns, the results revealed a striking disparity in practical preparedness levels. 50.9% of participants admitted to having taken no preventative or preparatory measures whatsoever to cope with a potential earthquake.

As for the most frequently taken preventative measures among the remaining participants, preparing an earthquake emergency kit topped the list at 28.5%, followed by checking the earthquake resistance and structural integrity of homes at 18.4%, and then securing furniture and heavy appliances inside homes at 10.1%. In contrast, the percentages of other measures ranged from knowing emergency assembly points (10%), to subscribing to mandatory or private earthquake insurance (9.1%), to preparing a family emergency communication plan (7.9%), and identifying evacuation routes within buildings (6%).