1970 Gediz earthquake

The 1970 Gediz earthquake (also known as the 1970 Kütahya-Gediz earthquake) struck western Turkey on 28 March at about 23:02 local time with an estimated magnitude of 7.2 on the scale..

Gediz, a district of Kütahya Province situated 98km (81mi) southeast of Kütahya, was a town that experienced repeated natural disasters including earthquakes and floods. It was relocated following a government resolution soon after the destruction to a new location that was 7 km away on the road to Uşak with the new name of Yeni Gediz (English: New Gediz).

The residents moved in their newly built, earthquake-resistant homes. Neighboring towns and villages were also rebuilt at places with relative minimum earthquake risk.

Other major earthquakes occurred in Gediz in 1866 and 1896, and on June 25, 1944, at 07:20 local time, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake occurred in Gediz, killing 20 people and damaging around 3,500 buildings.

Damage and casualties
The earthquake killed 1,086 people, injured 1,260 people, and left many thousands homeless in Gediz. Many people were burned alive as fires broke out from overturned stoves, and 9,452 buildings in the region were severely damaged or destroyed.