New arrests as Turkey searches for the culprits in the Izmir earthquake deaths

On Wednesday, 13 people were arrested as part of an investigation into the case of eight buildings that collapsed during an earthquake in the western province of Izmir last year.

The suspects were among the 22 wanted by the authorities and others were being hunted. They are accused of contributing to the death toll and exacerbating damage caused by the earthquake as a result of poor construction of buildings.

A total of 115 people were killed in the October 2020 earthquake. Seven people were arrested and three others were arrested, but were released under judicial control in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake.

The new arrests came after a preliminary expert report blamed those involved in the construction of the buildings who had failed to take action against the disaster for the deaths and injuries. Among the suspects was an apartment owner in one of the collapsed buildings who refused to agree to rebuild the building to support it in the face of a possible earthquake.

The report, compiled by experts from Dokuz Eilul University (DEU) in Izmir, Istanbul Technical University, and the Toubitak Marmara Research Center of the Science Council that bears the name, says samples taken from the wrecked buildings showed that the cause of their collapse was substandard use. Materials and design errors. The prosecutors also formed a four-member expert committee from Istanbul Technical University. Their final report will be released soon. Another report was compiled after the geophysical measurements, taken by TوبيBITAK Marmara Research Center, and sent to the Prosecutor’s Office.

A separate investigation is under way into the 17 public servants named in the report to determine whether the authorities that issued the building permits were at fault.

Most of the collapsed buildings were built more than two decades ago before regulations mandating more stable construction came into effect in the aftermath of the deadly earthquake that struck northwestern Turkey in 1999.

All of those killed in the earthquake were in buildings in the Berkeley area, which either collapsed completely or partially. Rubble falling between buildings that sustained minor damage other than the cracked walls has already revealed insecurity in the buildings. Police have detained construction contractors, building owners and engineers, including two men who were injured in the aftermath of the earthquake.

A report by a group of researchers from Gazi University in Ankara, who visited the disaster area two days after the earthquake, pointed to “deficiencies” in the collapsed structures and the precarious ground conditions. Some buildings were constructed in areas that were once groves and swamps.

According to media reports, seven stores were merged on the first floor of an apartment building that killed nine people in the earthquake and cut a column supporting the roof to expand a supermarket. In another building in which 11 people died, the basement has been modified significantly so that it is left vulnerable to flooding. In another case, a lower magnitude earthquake in 2005 caused cracks, but these were simply covered, while another building moved the entrance after construction.

The quake was felt the most in Berkeley, about 70 kilometers (43 miles) from the epicenter, the report said, due to “soft” ground, earthquake-resistant buildings and poor-quality cement used in construction. .

According to the report, none of the buildings had an adequate basement that would have limited damage. The report also indicated that the region is known for its fault lines that can cause tremors of this magnitude. Experts found that the rising level of groundwater in Berkeley led builders to build only “artificial” foundations for buildings.

Turkey sits on a series of active fault lines, and after the 1999 earthquake, it has striven to enhance building safety, pursuing an ambitious project to rebuild buildings that are not resistant to earthquakes and other disasters.

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