WAN, — Chairman of Chamber of Architects Wan Branch Shehabedin Uzturk stated that 90 percent of the houses in Wan city are shanty and unlicensed houses, ANF reports.
Ozturk added that the rate is even higher in Erciş district where a great number of buildings collapsed following the 7.2 magnitude earthquake on 24 October.
Ozturk said that 28 thousand and 275 buildings were damaged after the earthquake in Wan city centre, Erciş district and villages.
Pointing out to the devastating force of the 7.2 magnitude earthquake, he said that “This is a paradigm-shifting earthquake which broke a serious scientific mold in terms of the destructiveness effect it produced.
With variable magnitudes between 4 and 6, 2500 successive earthquakes have occurred since the 7.2 earthquake in Wan, something that was not experienced after the Marmara earthquake even, noted Ozturk.
“We actually see an optimistic scene when we examine the consequences of this earthquake which could have killed at least 50 thousand people and destroyed 70 percent of the city”, added Ozturk.