1957 Fethiye earthquakes
7.3-magnitude earthquake that struck Fethiye in southwestern Turkey on April 25, 1957
The first of the 1957 Fethiye earthquakes occurred on April 24, 1957, with the second and larger event about seven hours later on the following day. Both earthquakes had epicentres in the eastern Mediterranean between Rhodes and the coastal city of Fethiye in Muğla Province, southwestern Turkey.
Tectonics
As noted by a scientist from Istanbul Technical University, the tectonics of the Aegean Region of Turkey, which incorporates many faults, produces earthquakes frequently. The quakes can reach magnitudes up to 7.2 with aftershocks of 5.1. A geological fault in the southern part of the region stretches from the Greek island of Rhodes northeastwards to Burdur and passes close to the vicinity to Fethiye.
Earthquake characteristics
The first earthquake hit at 21:17 hours local time on April 24, 1957, and lasted 25 seconds having a magnitude of 7.1 on the moment magnitude scale; a stronger second quake occurred at 04:26 hours on April 25; this one lasted for 60 seconds and had a magnitude of 7.3. The earthquakes also shook many locations around Fethye, the epicenter, including Isparta, Burdur, Tefenni, Acıpayam, Denizli, Nazilli, Aydın, Yatağan, Milas, Bodrum, Ödemiş, Muğla, Marmaris, Köyceğiz, Kaş and Finike as well as the Greek islands of Kos, Symi and Rhodes.
Damage and casualties
Around 1,500 structures, including public buildings such as schools, hospital, prison, gendarmerie station, community health center and city hall, were damaged. The number of affected people was around 8,000. A 5–6 m (16–20 ft) section of the harbor quay broke away and sank into the sea, and asphalt road surfaces split and cracked.
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