Okan Tuysuz

Concerns over an expected large-scale earthquake in the Marmara region have escalated after a tremor measuring 4.9 magnitude struck the area late on March 4.

Following the successive earthquakes in Hakkari's Yüksekova district, located in southeastern Türkiye, experts have once again reiterated warnings over future risks in the region.

Earthquakes of 4.4, 3.5 and 4.5 magnitude occurred successively in Yüksekova on Dec. 31, causing fear and panic among the residents.

A new magnitude 5 earthquake has jolted the eastern province of Malatya, with no casualties or severe damages reported, the country's Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) has announced.

Nearly 5 million buildings in the country can be evaluated as half-ruined and are not earthquake resistant,as the Marmara Region in which a large-scale quake is expected to occur will receive massive damage in that case, experts have warned during their presentation to the parliamentary earthquake investigation commission.

Some 70 percent of buildings in Istanbul are not earthquake resistant, while about 90,000 buildings need to be demolished and rebuilt, a geoscientist has stated.

Following the 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude earthquakes that shook the southern provinces and claimed more than 45,960 lives, a possible major quake in Istanbul has come back to the agenda.

An earthquake measuring 5.8 in magnitude on Thursday struck Istanbul, the largest city and main economic centre of Turkey and the region. The epicentre was around 70 kilometres west of the city in the Marmara Sea.

After the quake struck, many people panicked and fled from their homes and sought safety in parks and the streets.