earthquake
Arrest warrants after building collapses in Turkey
A destroyed building in the city of Antakya. photo
© Petros Giannakouris/AP/dpa
It’s about construction defects that have favored the collapse of buildings: In the Turkish earthquake region, the judicial authorities have issued arrest warrants against dozens of suspects.
In southern Turkey, dozens of arrest warrants have been issued for possible construction defects after buildings collapsed during the earthquake. Arrest warrants had been issued for 33 people in the city of Diyarbakir, the state news agency Anadolu reported on Saturday, citing prosecutors. The accused are said to be responsible for construction defects that would have favored the collapse of the building.
According to Anadolu, the public prosecutor’s office in Adana is also investigating possible construction defects in collapsed buildings. As part of these investigations, 62 arrest warrants have been issued so far, it said. One of the suspects was reportedly arrested at Istanbul Airport. He is said to have tried to travel to Montenegro with cash and is now in custody, Anadolu said. Nine other people were arrested in the cities of Sanliurfa and Osmaniye.
A 7.7 magnitude tremor shook the Turkish-Syrian border area early Monday morning, followed by another 7.6 magnitude tremor at noon. More than 7,500 buildings collapsed in Turkey alone.