1. Skip to content
  2. Skip to main menu
  3. Skip to more DW sites

Istanbul - The threat of a major earthquake

42:36

This browser does not support the video element.

October 4, 2023

Many experts believe that Istanbul will soon be hit by a major earthquake — potentially one of the most devastating natural disasters in recent history. It’s only a matter of time.

Istanbul is located directly on the North Anatolian Fault, between two tectonic plates. These move apart by two to three centimeters a year, over a length of 1,200 kilometers. This is why severe earthquakes in the region are a regular occurrence. A quake in Istanbul itself is only a matter of time and will affect millions of people. An earthquake with a predicted magnitude of 6 to 7 on the Richter scale would devastate the city. Actress and filmmaker Nisan Arikan witnessed a severe quake in the region when she was nine years old. Together with geophysicist Patricia Martinez-Garzon, who researches the earthquake risk in Istanbul, she sets out to find solutions. How can the city’s 16 million residents prepare for a worst-case scenario?

Skip next section More from this show
Skip next section About the show

About the show

DocFilm

Exciting stories, a wide variety of topics, fascinating pictures: every day, half or three-quarters of an hour of carefully researched background reports from the worlds of politics, business, science, culture, nature, history, lifestyle and sport.

Skip next section DW's Top Story

DW's Top Story

Skip next section More stories from DW