Tragedy caused by negligence: Two people die after being electrocuted

The tragic end of two citizens trying to escape the heavy rain in the Alsancak district of İzmir yesterday has become a major topic of discussion in Turkey.

In the incident, İnanç Öktemay stepped into a puddle on Enver Dündar Başar Street, was electrocuted, and fell to the ground.

Seeing her friend being electrocuted, Özge Ceren Deniz tried to help him, but she was also electrocuted and fell next to him.

The two friends were pulled from the puddle by bystanders who provided initial intervention at the scene. They were then taken to Alsancak State Hospital and Tepecik Training and Research Hospital by 112 Emergency Health teams, but unfortunately, they could not be saved. While police teams took security measures at the scene, officials from the electricity company also conducted investigations.

IT WAS PRACTICALLY AN INVITATION TO DISASTER

It has emerged that municipal teams carried out work at the spot in İzmir where Özge Ceren Deniz and İnanç Öktemay lost their lives due to electrocution on January 4, 2024, and that smoke was seen rising from the same spot on January 9, 2024.

It was practically an invitation to disaster:
Footage of municipal work carried out in January has emerged from the spot where Özge Ceren Deniz and İnanç Öktemay died after being electrocutedhttps://t.co/PvVChDjJkX pic.twitter.com/TisGAkKOou

— 12punto (@12puntocomtr) July 13, 2024

IT HAS EMERGED THAT ÖZGE CEREN DENİZ WAS A 5TH-YEAR MEDICAL STUDENT

It was revealed through a condolence message shared by the university that Özge Ceren Deniz, who lost her life after being electrocuted on the street in İzmir, was a 5th-year student at the İzmir Democracy University Faculty of Medicine.

HERE IS THE MESSAGE SHARED BY THE UNIVERSITY:

JOURNALIST WARNED 5 YEARS AGO

Following the painful incident, it has emerged that the Ege Telgraf newspaper warned the authorities on January 19, 2019.

The report, brought to the agenda by then-reporter Utkucan Akkaş under the headline 'Does someone have to die for a solution?', stated in the newspaper: “Electric cables running underground on Enver Dündar Başar Street, located on the street opposite the Alsancak Ferry Terminal, pose a mortal danger. The underground power line running along Enver Dündar Başar Street, which is used by many people every day to reach Kıbrıs Şehitleri Street, is leaking. Due to an electrical leak occurring in a one-and-a-half-meter area, the street stones remain constantly hot. Many people are shocked while walking due to the electrical leak, and there is fear that a potential loss of life may occur. Shopkeepers complained about the indifference of the authorities, stating that there has been an electrical leak here for a long time and that a stray dog died because of it.”

STATEMENT FROM MINISTER TUNÇ

Minister of Justice Yılmaz Tunç made a statement regarding the incident in the Konak district of İzmir where 2 people lost their lives due to electrocution.

Minister Tunç's statement on the matter is as follows:

"The judicial investigation initiated by the İzmir Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding the death of 2 people who were electrocuted while trying to take shelter from heavy rain in the Konak district of İzmir is being carried out meticulously.

The judiciary will do what is necessary regarding those who have responsibility and negligence in the incident in line with the expert report.

I wish God's mercy upon our citizens who lost their lives in this incident that deeply saddened us all, and I extend my condolences and patience to their grieving families."

CALL FOR NATIONALIZATION FROM THE CHAMBER OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS

The Board of Directors of the Chamber of Electrical Engineers (EMO) İzmir Branch held a press conference today (July 13, 2024) regarding the tragedy in Alsancak, İzmir, where two citizens lost their lives after being electrocuted while walking on the street. In the press release, where the initial observations of the EMO İzmir Branch technical team in the field were shared, attention was drawn to the lack of inspection, and a call was made for the nationalization of electricity distribution companies.

"ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTION COMPANIES SHOULD BE NATIONALIZED"

During the heavy rains that were effective in our province of İzmir yesterday (July 12, 2024) evening, two of our citizens lost their lives after being electrocuted while trying to cross the street through a puddle on Enver Dündar Başar Street in Alsancak. First of all, we wish patience and condolences to the relatives and friends of Özge Ceren Deniz and İnanç Öktemay, who could not be saved despite all interventions.

Although the root causes of the incident will emerge after the Prosecutor's Office investigation and expert examinations, we can say that similar tragedies are inevitable if precautions are not taken. The tragedy in Alsancak has revealed that the precautions that should be taken against flooding in the electrical network have been neglected. Due to the flooding caused by rising sea levels in November 2023, electricity could not be provided to the region for a while. As a result of the sea overflow, many transformer centers remained underwater, and some streets could not be supplied with energy for days. GDZ Elektrik Dağıtım AŞ, which took over the electricity network in our province after privatization, was able to energize the region by moving underground cables above ground for a while. The splices made to the supply cables between transformer centers and distribution panels, and between distribution panels and buildings, should be examined. Work should be initiated immediately to replace unsuitable cables if any exist in the region and to renew the transformer centers and distribution panels damaged in the flood.

According to the initial findings of the technical team formed by the EMO İzmir Branch, who went to the field after the incident, it was determined that there was an insulation fault in the cables going from the transformer centers to the distribution panel on the street where the incident occurred. It is believed that our two citizens lost their lives due to contact with water caused by this insulation fault. We call on the Turkish Electricity Distribution Corporation (TEDAŞ) and the Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EPDK) to urgently identify and eliminate the deficiencies in the region. We invite all public institutions to take action to ensure that the tragedy, which occurred due to the failure to take precautions despite our warnings after the flood in November 2023, does not happen again, and we emphasize that we are ready to provide the necessary technical support.

Exorbitant Price, Incomplete Service

The infrastructure used by electricity distribution companies is public property, and the service they provide is a public service. Distribution companies must renew the electricity network, which they must transfer to the public at the end of their duty periods, according to the technology of the day. While digitalization efforts are being carried out in distribution networks all over the world, it is unacceptable to go backwards in our country in a way that endangers life and property safety. Distribution companies are responsible for delivering electrical energy in a high-quality, safe, and continuous manner. According to our Chamber's calculations, a family of 4 is expected to consume 230 kWh of energy per month for minimum living standards. The monthly bill for this consumption is 476.6 TL as of July 1, 2024. 66 percent of the average bill, that is, 314 TL, is transferred to these companies under the name of distribution fee.

Despite the transfer of such a high rate of public resources to distribution companies with the latest electricity price hikes, these companies, which do not make sufficient investments in the field to keep costs low and which endanger the life and property safety of our people as seen after the heavy rains in İzmir yesterday, must be urgently audited administratively and financially. Last month, 15 of our citizens lost their lives in the fire that affected the provinces of Diyarbakır and Mardin. In the preliminary report of the Çınar Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, it was determined that the fire was "electricity-related." It should not be accepted as normal that network problems cause fires in extreme heat and "electrical leaks" in rain. After privatization, technical competence in distribution companies has decreased significantly, experienced staff have been removed, and most of the services have been transferred to subcontractors to reduce costs.

We warn the public by emphasizing that there are technical inspection deficiencies in the electricity network, which has been left to its fate. For a permanent solution, a vertically integrated public monopoly that will manage all processes from production to distribution must be re-established. During the transition period, instead of transferring public resources to the private sector in an uncertain manner, a Privatization Administration Presidency should be established to carry out nationalization procedures.

STATEMENT FROM İZMİR METROPOLITAN MUNICIPALITY REGARDING 'ELECTRICAL LEAK' DEATHS

The İzmir Metropolitan Municipality stated that the causes of the incident in Konak, where two citizens lost their lives due to an electrical leak, are being investigated and that necessary precautions will be taken. The municipality published a press release regarding the work carried out.

In the statement, the phrase "It is also documented with photographs that the electricity lines belonging to GDZ Elektrik A.Ş. were laid 23 cm below the ground, contrary to construction techniques" drew attention.

The statement made by the municipality is as follows:

We are in deep sorrow that two of our fellow citizens lost their lives after being electrocuted on Enver Dündar Başar Street in Konak on July 12, 2024. As the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, we have initiated all necessary investigations in cooperation with the authorized bodies to ensure that the causes of this unfortunate incident are determined beyond doubt and that it does not happen again. Official reports on the subject will be shared with our public with full transparency in the coming days.

However, in order to prevent disinformation that may occur during this sensitive process and to resolve some question marks, it has become necessary for us to present the initial findings and evaluations.

Following the incident, the authorized personnel of the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality who reached the area immediately checked the electrical installation, verified that the time relay that energizes the lighting installation at sunset (20.35) and cuts off the energy at sunrise was working correctly, and therefore it was confirmed that there was no energy in the cables of the lighting installation at the time of the incident (19.15). In addition, our municipality's electrical installation is protected by residual current protection relays that cut off the energy against such a danger. It is also clear that there is no infrastructure work carried out by our municipality in the region that could be associated with a leak that might occur in the power line.

'ELECTRICITY LINES BELONGING TO GDZ ELEKTRİK A.Ş. WERE LAID CONTRARY TO CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES'

As a matter of fact, the technical report of the İZSU General Directorate regarding the incident states that 3 rainwater grates were built in the region by the 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 the observer.

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

In addition, it is documented with photographs that repairs were carried out at 2 different points on the cables and that the electricity lines belonging to GDZ Elektrik A.Ş. were laid 23 cm below the ground, contrary to construction techniques.

The statements regarding the fact that some negative situations related to electrical leaks occurred in the mentioned region and that the local tradesmen notified the authorized institution repeatedly are also on record.

As a matter of fact, according to the initial findings of the technical team formed by the Chamber of Electrical Engineers İzmir Branch, who went to the field after the incident, it was stated that an insulation fault was determined in the cables going from the transformer centers to the distribution panel on the street where the incident occurred, and a statement was made saying, "It is believed that our two citizens lost their lives due to contact with water caused by this insulation fault."

Our wish is that the causes of the incident be determined as soon as possible and that the work to prevent its recurrence be implemented rapidly. We once again wish God's mercy upon our fellow citizens who lost their lives, and patience and condolences to their families and loved ones.

POST FROM 10 YEARS AGO BECAME AN AGENDA

Two people who lost their lives after being electrocuted in the middle of the street while escaping from the downpour in İzmir have become a major topic of discussion in Turkey.

The post made in 2014 by the late İnanç Öktemay drew attention.

Öktemay's post in 2014, which said, "To know a country, look at how people die in that country", drew attention.

Here is that post:

After the incident that happened yesterday, footage of the moment of the incident also emerged today.

Here are those moments...

Two friends were electrocuted in İzmir: Footage of those moments has emergedhttps://t.co/eVkfpiV7KJ pic.twitter.com/9FgMUDWLGz

— 12punto (@12puntocomtr) July 13, 2024

News Source: İHA