Arrest warrants for 131 people in Turkey in connection with buildings that collapsed during the earthquakes

As rescuers still pulled a lucky few from the rubble on the seventh day after devastating earthquakes struck southern Turkey, turkish authorities detained or issued arrest warrants for around 130 people believed to have been involved in the construction of the buildings that collapsed and crushed them their inhabitants, the Associated Press informed, quoted by BTA.

The death toll from the earthquakes, with its epicenter in Turkey's Kahramanmaras district, has now surpassed 28,000 in Turkey and neighboring Syria, and continues to rise as more bodies are pulled from the ruins Over 80,000 are injured.

As despair fueled anger at the painfully slow rescue efforts, attention turned to who was to blame for not better preparing people in the quake-hit region Although there are building codes on paper in Turkey, that meet modern earthquake engineering standards, they are rarely applied, which explains why thousands of buildings have toppled sideways or collapsed on their occupants, the agency said.

Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said late last night that arrest warrants had been issued for 131 people believed to be responsible for the collapse of the buildings The justice minister vowed to punish anyone responsible, and prosecutors began collecting samples from the buildings for evidence of the materials used in construction.

The earthquakes were powerful, but victims, experts and people across Turkey blamed poor construction for adding to the destruction Istanbul airport authorities today detained two construction contractors accused of demolishing several buildings in Adyaman.

the private news agency DHA and other media reported The couple was reportedly on their way to Georgia.

In Gaziantep province, two more people were arrested on suspicion of removing columns to make more space in a building that collapsed during the quakes, Anadolu Agency reported Turkey's Ministry of Justice announced the creation of bureaus to investigate earthquake-related crimes.

The bureaus will aim to identify contractors and others responsible for construction work, collect evidence, instruct experts including architects, geologists and engineers, and verify building and occupancy permits On Friday, authorities detained a construction contractor at Istanbul airport before he boarded a flight to Montenegro.

He was the contractor for a 12-story luxury building in the historic city of Antakya, Hatay County, which collapsed and killed countless people The arrests could help direct public anger at builders and contractors, deflecting attention from local and state officials who have allowed the apparently shoddy construction to continue, the AP said.

The government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, already burdened by an economic downturn and high inflation, faces parliamentary and presidential elections in May, the agency reminds Survivors, many of whom had lost loved ones, also directed their frustration and anger at the authorities.

Rescue teams are overwhelmed by the massive destruction that has affected roads and airports, making the race against time even more difficult Earlier in the week, Erdogan admitted that the initial response had been hampered by extensive damage.

He stated that the most affected area is 500 km in diameter and is home to 13 5 million people in Turkey.

During a tour of the quake-hit towns yesterday, Erdogan said a disaster of this magnitude was rare and again called it the "disaster of the century " Environment Minister Murat Kurum said 24,921 buildings in the affected area had collapsed.

or suffered serious damage The data is based on an assessment of more than 170,000 buildings, Reuters added.

Opposition parties have accused the government of failing to enforce building codes and misspent special taxes imposed after the last major earthquake in 1999 Erdogan stated that the opposition only lies and spreads slander,.