Indictment accepted in the 75th Year Apartment case, which caused the death of 42 people

A lawsuit has been filed against 4 defendants, 3 of whom are in custody, over allegations of negligence in the construction of the 75th Year Apartment in Hatay, which collapsed in the February 6 earthquakes, resulting in the loss of 42 lives.

Following the investigation completed by the Hatay Chief Public Prosecutor's Office Earthquake Investigation Bureau, an indictment was prepared regarding the collapse of the 8-story apartment building located in the Ürgenpaşa Neighborhood of the Central Antakya district during the earthquakes, which led to the deaths of 42 people. A lawsuit was filed against the defendants in custody, the building's contractor Mustafa Erdoğan K., the static project author Cemil U., the architect and technical implementation supervisor Raci C., and the fugitive land partner Mustafa Kemal Ş., with a request for up to 22 years and 6 months in prison each for the crime of "causing the death of more than one person through conscious negligence." The indictment was accepted by the Hatay 3rd High Criminal Court.

NO SOIL SURVEY REPORT

In the indictment, it is stated in the complainants' testimonies that the building collapsed within a short time during the first earthquake. Furthermore, it is noted that there is no soil survey report for the building, which began construction in 1996. The expert report determined that the building collapsed entirely during the earthquake as the load-bearing system formed hinges at the joints, exceeding limit displacement values. The report also stated that the Regulation on Structures to be Built in Disaster Areas was not sufficiently followed due to insufficient reinforcement detailing.

The defendants will be tried with a prison sentence of up to 22 years and 6 months each for the crime of causing death through conscious negligence.

News Source: 12punto