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Ahmet Ercan issues warning, pointing to that region! 'Residences here should be declared off-limits'

Following the 6.1 magnitude earthquake in Balıkesir, Prof. Dr. Övgün Ahmet Ercan emphasized that buildings along the Balıkesir-Akhisar route should not be occupied, issuing an urgent call with the words, "Residences here should be declared off-limits."

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Following the 6.1 magnitude earthquake recorded in Balıkesir on August 10, a second tremor of the same intensity that occurred on October 27 in Sındırgı has increased concerns. These two major earthquakes caused fear in many cities, including Istanbul and Izmir.

Following the consecutive earthquakes, Prof. Dr. Övgün Ahmet Ercan made significant assessments.

Ercan drew attention specifically to the Balıkesir-Akhisar road and stated the following:

"What is happening in Sındırgı?

I am warning you!

Sındırgı has been affected by two M6.1 magnitude earthquakes within three months. The total length of the ground rupture caused by these two earthquakes is approximately 33 km. If this 33-kilometer rupture had occurred in a single earthquake, the magnitude would have been M6.7. Since the earthquake threshold value in Sındırgı is 6.2, perhaps two-thirds of Sındırgı could have collapsed if such an earthquake had occurred. In Sındırgı, the structures that were fatigued by the first earthquake sustained major damage in the second; some collapsed, while others reached the threshold of collapse. The greatest damage occurred in the structures on the Balıkesir road and the Akhisar road. The areas with the most significant damage are former marshlands and former lake beds. These areas should be demarcated, and structures in this section should be declared off-limits for construction; it is mandatory that the people in this region be urgently relocated to sturdy areas, such as those near TOKİ projects. What must be done urgently in Sındırgı is to rapidly initiate GEOPHYSICAL measurements, map the ground behavior and strength of all of Sındırgı during an earthquake, as well as the depth of the groundwater, by taking resonance measurements and conducting underground electrical resistivity surveys. Apart from this, a damage classification map resulting from these two earthquakes must be produced immediately.

Sındırgı, having witnessed these two earthquakes, now looks like a ghost town. The Republic of Turkey must give Sındırgı high priority.

The rupture caused by the earthquake extends toward Demirci. There is no possibility of saying whether an earthquake will occur along this extension. However, if it does, very few houses will remain standing in Sındırgı this time, and furthermore, Demirci and the surrounding villages will remain under threat."