Türkiye continues to confront the devastating legacy of past earthquakes, Istanbul is taking a major step toward future precautions—with the launch of an AI-powered disaster response system.
Memories of powerful quakes remain deeply etched in the nation’s history. In February 2023, the Kahramanmaraş earthquake killed over 50,000 people, leaving widespread destruction across southeastern Türkiye. And back in August 1999, Istanbul’s Avcılar district was one of the hardest-hit areas during the Gölcük earthquake—with 270 lives lost, hundreds injured, and thousands of buildings reduced to rubble.
In response, a new AI-supported “Disaster Emergency Unit” has been introduced, with the first prototype installed in Preveze Primary School in Gaziosmanpaşa district. Developed with support from the Istanbul Governor’s Office, the solar-powered unit includes clean water, toilets, food, first aid, and search-and-rescue tools, all intended for the critical first 72 hours after a quake.
These 12-square-meter green units are equipped with sensors and automatically activate during earthquakes of 5.5 magnitude or higher. The AI system monitors inventory and expiration dates, while school-specific versions securely log who children can be released to during emergencies.
Yasemin Küçük, safety coordinator for the “Disaster-Ready School” project, said the idea came after the 2019 Istanbul earthquake, Though no schools collapsed, students had to wait outside for hours, highlighting the need for better planning.
Remembering past quake tragedies to AI-driven solutions, Istanbul is building resilience one container at a time.
Chinese travellers made an estimated 362.58 million cross-regional passenger trips on Monday, the final day of the Spring Festival holiday, according ...
Thousands of people gathered across Europe and beyond over the weekend in solidarity with Ukraine, as the war with Russia entered its fifth year....
A powerful winter storm has brought large parts of the U.S. Northeast to a standstill, dumping more than a foot of snow across several states and seve...
The United Nations mission in Afghanistan said on Monday it had received “credible reports” that at least 13 civilians were killed and seven other...
Four members of Syria’s Internal Security Forces were killed on Monday in an attack by the ISIS (Daesh) terrorist group targeting a checkpoint west ...
The U.S. and Iran have agreed to hold talks in Oman on Friday (5 February), even as they remained at odds over Washington's insistence that negotiations include Tehran's missile arsenal and Iran's vow to discuss only its nuclear programme.
The Turkish Competition Authority carried out an early-morning raid on online retailer Temu’s Istanbul office on Wednesday (21 January), the regulator and a company spokesperson said, as scrutiny of the Chinese-owned platform’s business model intensifies.
A technical incident occurred between the ASCO-owned tanker Kalbajar and the Turkish-flagged tanker Alatepe in waters off Istanbul, according to the Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Closed Joint-Stock Company (ASCO).
Turkish authorities have detained 115 suspected Islamic State members they said were planning to carry out attacks on Christmas and New Year celebrations in the country.
Pakistan said it carried out cross-border strikes on militant targets inside Afghanistan after blaming a series of recent suicide bombings, including attacks during the holy month of Ramadan, on fighters it said were operating from Afghan territory.
Italy said a fond farewell to the Winter Olympics on Sunday with an open-air ceremony in the ancient Verona Arena that celebrated art and sporting achievement at a Games lauded as a model for how to stage such events.
The United States and Iran will hold a new round of nuclear negotiations in Geneva on Thursday as part of renewed diplomatic efforts to reach a potential agreement, Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi announced on Sunday.
Islamic State claimed two attacks on Syrian army personnel on Saturday (22 February), saying they marked the start of a new phase of operations against the country’s leadership under President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Further Iran-U.S. nuclear talks are scheduled in Geneva on Thursday (26 February) as diplomacy resumes over Tehran’s nuclear programme following earlier mediation efforts. But will the talks move Iran-U.S. negotiations closer to a deal, and what should be expected from the meeting?
Four members of Syria’s Internal Security Forces were killed on Monday in an attack by the ISIS (Daesh) terrorist group targeting a checkpoint west of Raqqa in northeastern Syria, the Interior Ministry said.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said nuclear talks with United States have “yielded encouraging signals” stressing Iran’s readiness “for any potential scenario”.
Central Asia’s population could reach 96 million by 2040, according to the head of the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB), highlighting both the region’s economic potential and the growing strain on infrastructure, trade routes and long-term development models.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Monday discussed transport links, infrastructure projects and broader economic cooperation with a high-level Iranian delegation led by Roads and Urban Development Minister Farzaneh Sadegh.
Iran has signed a secret €500 million arms deal with Russia to rebuild air defences, weakened during last year’s war with Israel, the Financial Times has reported. The agreement, signed in December in Moscow, will see Russia deliver 500 Verba launch units and 2,500 9M336 missiles over three years.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment