Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ Wednesday vowed to take action against negligence and flaws after a deadly earthquake, in which thousands of buildings tumbled to the ground, raised questions about the construction standards.
“Our priority is to save our people trapped under the rubble. Then the judicial process will continue. The ones who committed negligence will be held accountable,” the minister told reporters in southeastern Diyarbakır province.
Bozdağ further said that seven detached buildings collapsed, one of which was vacant.
“There are 184 flats in these six buildings. So far, 254 of our citizens have been evacuated from the rubble. Unfortunately, 133 of them passed away while 121 of them were rescued. Some of them have been discharged from the hospital, and some are still under treatment. We haven't been able to reach the others yet as the rescue operation is still in progress," the minister explained.
He noted that 774 tents were set up in the city for 7,000 citizens, adding: “We are hosting 168,421 citizens in social, public facilities, sports halls, mosques and various places in Diyarbakır."
