Thousands of aid workers and other personnel took part in one of the biggest earthquake preparedness exercises in Istanbul, a city that is expected to be hit by a major earthquake in the near future according to scientists.
Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) launched the exercise at 18 different locations in the city, including Istanbul Airport, with the Kağıthane district on the city’s European side serving as the base of operations. AFAD crews responded to a scenario in which an earthquake of a magnitude of 7.5 or higher hit the metropolis for the “evacuation, accommodation and planning” exercise. The scenario focused on all 39 districts of the city and was the latest in a series of drills AFAD and other public agencies have conducted in the “Year of Exercises.”
Though search and rescue exercises are common, it was the first major evacuation exercise for Turkey, which sought to reform its disaster response after one of the biggest earthquakes in its history in 1999.
Along with AFAD, crews from municipalities and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) took part in the exercise while Kağıthane residents were also given roles in the evacuation.
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