7.6
1999 İzmit Earthquake
1999-08-17 — Kocaeli Province, northwestern Turkey
The İzmit earthquake struck Turkey's industrial heartland along the North Anatolian Fault at 3:02 AM, when most people were asleep in their homes. The Kocaeli and Sakarya provinces suffered near-total destruction, with the Tüpraş oil refinery in İzmit catching fire and burning for days. The disaster exposed widespread corruption in the Turkish construction industry and led to sweeping reforms in building codes and urban planning.
Magnitude
7.6
Depth
17 km
Shallow
Fatalities
17,127
Damage
$20 billion
| Date | 1999-08-17 |
| Epicenter | 40.748°N, 29.864°E |
| Intensity | X (Extreme) |
| Tsunami | Yes (max 2.5m) |
| Injuries | 43,953 |