August 1999 Izmit (Kocaeli), Turkey Images

On August 17, 1999, at 3:02 am local time (00:02 GMT) a magnitude (Mw) 7.4 earthquake occurred on the northern Anatolian fault. The epicenter was located very close to the south shore of the Bay of Izmit, an eastward extension of the Marmara Sea. The location of this earthquake and its proximity to a populous region on the Bay of Izmit contributed greatly to its damaging effects. The total estimated loss for port facilities in the region was around $200 million (US). Subsidence and slumping caused much of the coastal damage, but a tsunami was generated that also caused coastal damage and deaths.