As Turkey tries to recover from back-to-back powerful earthquakes, 184 people suspected of responsibility for the collapse of buildings have been arrested, a minister said on Saturday.
A 5.3 magnitude earthquake that hit Turkey again on 25 February 2023, was the third in a row in the Turkey-Syrian borders this month that has claimed over 40 thousand lives so far, while many bodies still remain trapped under the rubbles of cities devastated by the quakes. Meanhile, people's sorrow and disbelief have turned to rage over the sense that there has been an unfair and ineffective response to the historic disaster.
Some have also expressed frustration that rescue operations have been painfully slow since the Feb. 6 quakes and that valuable time was lost during the narrow window for finding people alive.
According to a report by Reuters, Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said that more than 600 people had been investigated in connection with collapsed buildings, speaking during a news conference in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir, which was among 10 provinces hit by the disaster.
He added that 79 construction contractors, 74 people who bear legal responsibility for buildings, 13 property owners and 18 people who had made alterations to buildings, have been formally arrested so far.
The disaster led to the collapse or severe damage of more than 160,000 buildings containing 520,000 apartments.
Last week,Turkey police also arrested 78 people who were accused of creating fear and panic by “sharing provocative posts” about the earthquake on social media, according to a report by Reuters. Moreover, 46 websites were shut down for running "phishing scams" by trying to steal donations for quake victims.
(With inputs from AP)
