Assignment: Tempting fate - Istanbul's earthquake dilemma
The Documentary Podcast
BBC
4.3 • 2.7K Ratings
🗓️ 15 February 2024
⏱️ 28 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Millions of residents living in Istanbul face the dilemma of whether or not to find out if the buildings where they live are resilient to earthquakes. Many cannot afford to do anything about it even if they are unsafe. A year on from the earthquakes in south-east Turkey that killed over 53,000 people, it is clear poorly built homes, hospitals and hotels that collapsed within seconds contributed to the high death toll. There are warnings that a similar fate awaits Istanbul, where scientists predict a major earthquake could strike any day now. Emily Wither looks at the challenges facing Istanbul and discovers a story of politics, poor urban planning and a struggle to find safe housing.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | In 1969, a plan to show support for an anti-racism protest turned the lives of 14 promising |
| 0:07.0 | black student athletes upside down. |
| 0:09.8 | Amazing sport stories from the BBC World Service tells their story. |
| 0:14.0 | Search for Amazing Sports Stories, wherever you get your BBC podcasts. |
| 0:19.0 | Thanks for choosing to listen to assignment on the documentary podcast from the BBC World Service. |
| 0:25.9 | In this episode I'm reporting from Istanbul, a sprawling metropolis where scientists predict a |
| 0:32.0 | major earthquake could strike any day now. |
| 0:35.0 | The city's mayor warns there are over 200,000 risky buildings, |
| 0:40.0 | but as we find out, replacing or strengthening them is complicated, |
| 0:45.0 | and people and politics often stand in the way. |
| 0:49.0 | We're walking down a dirt track, it's beautiful and green here. We're right in the middle of some woods. |
| 0:56.9 | And either side of me are mobile homes, one story made of wood with small picket fences around them. |
| 1:05.0 | Oh hello, there's a little cat. |
| 1:08.0 | Oh, it's so cozy in here and the kitchen is beautiful. |
| 1:12.0 | How does it make you feel living here? |
| 1:15.0 | I think we are healing here pasta after the earthquake. |
| 1:19.0 | While I'm asleep I know something won't fall on my head. |
| 1:26.0 | Even if I die tonight, I won't die because I'm stuck under a building. That thought makes me feel good. |
| 1:36.0 | It's really simple actually, but it makes me feel better. Welcome to the documentary from the BBC World Service. |
| 1:42.0 | I'm Emily Wither, and for assignment I'm in Turkey, |
| 1:45.0 | where another natural disaster is predicted, |
| 1:48.0 | this time in Istanbul. |
... |
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