ISTANBUL, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's largest city Istanbul marked the 21st anniversary of the deadly earthquake that rocked the northwestern part of the country in 1999 with an earthquake simulation at midnight on Sunday.
The Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) organized the simulation at the headquarter, aiming at raising a nationwide awareness of earthquakes.
The AFAD experts demonstrated what to do during a powerful earthquake, showing tricks to create a living space in apartments and explaining the issues to be considered in evacuations.
"Earthquake simulations provide an important experience especially for people who have never witnessed an earthquake," Mehmet Gulluoglu, head of the AFAD, told reporters before the drill.
Geologists have long been expecting a strong earthquake to hit Istanbul in the fault line passing under the Marmara Sea in the upcoming period.
"That's why we need to increase our preparation, take precautions, and maximize our training," Gulluoglu added.
The simulation was held at midnight to remember those who lost their lives at the 7.4-magnitude tremor in the Kocaeli Province, some 100 km east of Istanbul, in the Marmara region on Aug. 17 in 1999.
More than 17,000 people were killed at the earthquake, which caused extensive destruction in the area.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Istanbul Disaster Training Center on Monday, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu warned residents not to use their private cars in case of an earthquake in the metropolis of Istanbul with a population of 16 million.
"Otherwise, our search and rescue teams wouldn't be able to reach disaster areas as the roads would be blocked by the cars," Soylu noted. Enditem
