On Wednesday morning at 04:08, a 5.9 magnitude earthquake occurred in Düzce's Gölyaka district, felt across a wide area including Istanbul, Bolu, Sakarya, Ankara, Kocaeli, Kütahya, Bilecik, Bursa, Zonguldak, Bartın, and Izmir. A total of 68 people were injured in the earthquake, one of whom was in serious condition.
Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan made evaluations regarding the earthquake that occurred in Düzce. Stating that Turkey, as an earthquake country, must be prepared, Tarhan said: "We are an earthquake country. If we are not prepared for an earthquake, we panic. Almost after every earthquake, we see people with broken arms and legs. Most of these are due to panic, people jumping from windows or balconies..."
"The earthquake we experienced is similar to a heart attack"
Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Tarhan, who likened the Düzce earthquake to a heart attack, pointed out that this earthquake could be a small-scale warning. Tarhan said: "Turkey experienced a 5.9 magnitude earthquake. There was significant activity related to the North Anatolian Fault line. This activity is similar to this: before a person has a heart attack, their body gives small signals, precursors, there is spasm and tension. Then, if the person does not take precautions, the artery suddenly clogs. I am saying this to emphasize the seriousness of the matter, we are an earthquake country. If we are not prepared for an earthquake, we panic. Almost after every earthquake, we see people with broken arms and legs. They jump from windows, from balconies… Most of them broke limbs due to panic while rushing down stairs. Most injuries are like this."
"A person prepared for an earthquake, prepared for a crisis, overcomes the crisis healthily"
Tarhan, emphasizing the importance of being prepared for situations that may occur before a crisis in overcoming it, stated that an earthquake is a crisis situation. Tarhan said: "A person prepared for an earthquake, a person prepared for a crisis, overcomes the crisis healthily. We are in an earthquake zone. We need to be prepared for earthquakes. We must have information about what we will do if an earthquake occurs, or whether our home is prone to earthquakes. Here, we are not only responsible as citizens but also as administrators."