New development in the electrocution tragedy: Statement of the İZSU Sewerage Department Head revealed

In his statement, İZSU Sewerage Department Head Barış K. indicated that the observer was on leave at the time of the incident, leading to a lack of supervision, and said, "Even if we had not built the grate there, the accident would still have occurred. I do not accept the accusations against me."

Following a warning from the General Directorate of Meteorology, heavy rainfall began in İzmir on July 12 around 18:00. In Bayraklı, 39.7 kilograms of precipitation fell per square meter. Due to the rainfall, some streets and avenues in the city center, Bayraklı, and Konak districts were flooded, causing difficulties for drivers and pedestrians.

Demokrasi University Medical Faculty student Özge Ceren Deniz (23), who was trying to escape the downpour, was electrocuted on the flooded road. İnanç Öktemay (44), an amateur musician who worked in second-hand goods sales and tried to save her, was also electrocuted and collapsed to the ground. Deniz and Öktemay lost their lives in the hospital to which they were taken. İnanç Öktemay was laid to rest in İzmir, and Özge Ceren Deniz in Osmaniye.

TRADESPEOPLE HAD REPORTED THE SITUATION TO AUTHORIZED INSTITUTIONS

Security camera footage showing smoke rising from the grate at the scene on January 9 has also emerged. It was learned that local tradespeople had reported the situation to the relevant institutions at that time. Following an inspection at the site in İzmir where 2 people were electrocuted, the municipality and the electric company arrived and carried out work to find a solution. With the work, the underground cables were moved 50 centimeters deeper. After municipal services covered the cables, electricity was restored to the area and the road was opened to traffic.

STATEMENT FROM THE METROPOLITAN MUNICIPALITY

In a statement regarding the matter, the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality said, "It is clear that there is no infrastructure work carried out by our municipality in the region that could be associated with a leak in the electrical line. In fact, the technical report of the İZSU General Directorate regarding the incident states that 3 rainwater grates were built in the region by a contractor firm within the scope of tendered works in January 2024, that an observer was requested from GDZ Elektrik A.Ş. during the manufacturing, and that the manufacturing was carried out under the supervision of an observer.

The report states that after the construction work, maintenance and repair work was carried out by GDZ Elektrik A.Ş. on the electrical lines next to the rainwater grate, and that citizens had even opened 2 fault records for the mentioned region to GDZ Elektrik A.Ş.," the statement said.

The statement noted that local tradespeople had previously provided more reports to the authorized institution in the region, adding, "Furthermore, it is documented with photographs that maintenance was carried out in 2 different places on the cables and that the electrical energy belonging to GDZ Elektrik A.Ş. was laid 23 cm underground, contrary to production technology. Statements by local tradespeople that they had notified the authorized institution about issues related to electrical leakage have also been recorded."

GDZ ELEKTRİK: NO COMPLAINT RECORD

In a statement made by the GDZ Electricity Distribution Company, it was stated that the on-site inspections by authorized institutions had been completed, and that "Requests made to our institution through all channels, including CİMER, the Call Center, and social media, regarding the region where the incident occurred over the last 6 months were examined, but no complaint record was detected. The complaints mentioned in the conversations of the local residents were made to other institutions that are directly responsible. On the other hand, a fault record was made for a different network element in the region on January 9, and the problem was resolved by the teams and the record was closed.

EXPERT PRELIMINARY REPORT: INSTITUTIONS ARE IN VIOLATION

Meanwhile, the preliminary report prepared by the expert stated that a cable belonging to a supply circuit was trapped and damaged in the rainwater drainage grate, and that a phase-to-ground fault in this section caused the deaths. The report pointed out that the cables belonging to the supply circuits were at a depth of 36 to 45 centimeters from the ground, and that this depth decreased to 15 centimeters where there was heat, reaching almost the same level as the accessibility of the grate.

The report emphasized that according to the relevant regulation, this depth should normally be 60 to 80 centimeters. The report also included the following statements:

"The factor causing such a small burial depth at the position where the cable depth is 15 centimeters is the expansion of the white drainage pipe from the edge of the manhole cover towards the cables, and the fact that this section of the cable protection pipe was canceled in the meantime. We believe that this breakage, which is among the İZSU applications, is one of the primary causes. It has been concluded that the fact that the cables were buried at a depth between 36 and 45 centimeters, and that the accident occurred, is a result of GDZ Elektrik's applications as one of the primary causes."

14 PEOPLE ARRESTED

Of the 27 suspects detained and brought to the courthouse regarding the deaths of the 2 people who were electrocuted, 14, including İZSU Sewerage Department Head Barış K. and GDZ Elektrik Aegean Regional Manager and Operations Officer Ali S., were arrested by the court. House arrest was decided for 7 of the other suspects, and a travel ban was imposed on 6. Additionally, as a result of the evaluation of documents, statements, and evidence, detention warrants were issued for 5 more people. While 3 of these suspects were apprehended, it was determined that 1 was abroad and the other was undergoing cancer treatment.

"THERE WAS NO OBSERVER BECAUSE THEY WERE ON LEAVE"

In his defense at the Criminal Court of Peace, İZSU Sewerage Department Head Barış K. said, "Ezgi Nazaroğlu, Deniz, and Alara Hanım are from construction supervision. My area of responsibility is the entire İzmir metropolis. Our job is the collection and transport of waste and rainwater.

I manage the work in the administration. While doing this work, we have a construction supervision team. If a problem in the field is reported to me, I go to the field. I examined the grates where the accident occurred after the incident.

Our observer was on leave during the process of building the grates. There was no observer at the scene because our observer, Mustafa Atakan, was on leave. We did not damage the cables in any way while we were working there," he said.

"WE COMMUNICATE WHEN WE DAMAGE OTHER INSTITUTIONS' MATERIALS"

Barış K. also included the following statements in his testimony: "The teams only communicate with other institutions when they damage the materials of other institutions. We do not keep any reports when other lines are not damaged or when there is no negative situation.

However, when damage occurs, the contractor firm keeps a record. The contractor firm is responsible for these damages. If there had been damage, the contractor firm was responsible for calling the observers of other institutions. I know that they called İzmirgaz and Gediz Elektrik saying 'You can come as an observer' while working at the scene. İzmirgaz came to the scene, but no observer came from Gediz Elektrik.