An 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck Izmit, Turkey on August 17, 1999, killing over 15,000 people and injuring 24,000 more. The earthquake damaged critical infrastructure like buildings, roads, bridges, and power and water systems. It was caused by movement along the fault line between the Anatolian and Eurasian tectonic plates, on which Izmit is located. Rescue efforts were severely hampered by the widespread damage and lack of basic services.

1. An earthquake of 7.4 on the Richter Scale struck the region around Izmit in Turkey on 17 th August 1999

2. The area around Izmit is a centre of industry in Turkey. As a result, lots of people have moved to the area, and population densities are over 1000 people per km ²

3. The earthquake struck at 3.01 am when most people were asleep in their beds.

4. 600 apartments built by one contractor in the Izmit area collapsed.

5. Many of the builders and contractors who built houses and other buildings in Izmit took short cuts to save money and time.

6. The government regulations about making sure buildings can withstand earthquakes were often ignored in this part of Turkey.

7. A fire at an oil refinery lasted for 3 days.

8. It took 12 days to restore the electricity supply to the area.

9. 60-70% of buildings near the plate boundary collapsed.

10. Underground pipes and cables were broken.

11. 15 000 people were killed by the disaster. A further 24 000 people were injured, and 600 000 people were made homeless.

12. More than 1000 aftershocks shook Izmit after the quake. Some of them were strong enough to topple damaged buildings.

13. Electricity supplies were disrupted.

14. Tsunami flooded farmland on the coast, causing damage to crops.

15. Izmit sits on the plate boundary between the Anatolian and the Eurasian plates. The Anatolian is a minor plate.

16. People in Izmit have built many homes, factories and other buildings near to the plate boundary.

17. Due to a lack of power, water pumping stations could not supply water, so many areas had no clean water after the earthquake.

18. During the earthquake, dozens of buildings and bridges collapsed – many roads were damaged or blocked.

19. Three days after the earthquake, local people were still using their bare hands to dig people out of the rubble.

20. The earthquake was caused by the Anatolian plate and the Eurasian plate moving past each other.

21. The ground shook for up to 45 seconds.

22. Emergency services could not get through as roads were damaged.

23. The rescue efforts by the emergency services were severely disrupted.

24. Friction between the tectonic plates built up. The release of pressure caused the earthquake.