Major danger in 4 districts of Istanbul! Applications have increased: Columns can no longer support the buildings

The 6.2 magnitude earthquake that occurred in Istanbul on April 23, 2025, once again revealed how risky the city's building stock is.

The building screenings and analyses that the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) has been conducting since 2020 highlight four districts in particular.

According to the report by Esen Dolma from Gazete Oksijen, the IBB has taken action to identify the 190,800 buildings expected to sustain serious damage in a potential major earthquake. To date, 115,000 applications have been received.

However, due to disagreements among apartment residents, only 35,000 of these applications could be examined. It was revealed that approximately 50 percent of the examined structures are not earthquake-resistant.

THE BIGGEST PROBLEM: COLUMNS LOSING THEIR LOAD-BEARING CAPACITY

According to IBB reports, the common feature of the risky districts is that the columns in the buildings have lost their load-bearing properties. This situation significantly increases the risk of buildings collapsing during an earthquake. Especially older structures and unsuitable ground conditions exacerbate the danger.

APPLICATIONS HAVE INCREASED

Murat Yün, Head of the IBB Earthquake Risk Management and Urban Improvement Department, stated that applications from citizens for building screenings have increased rapidly following the earthquake on April 23.

Yün said, "While we were receiving an average of 250 applications per month at the beginning of this year, this number rose to 850 in April. Most of the applications are coming from Avcılar, Silivri, Büyükçekmece, and Küçükçekmece, which are the most problematic districts in terms of ground conditions."