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Turkish quake trial for hotel collapse that killed school volleyball team

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The initial trial related to the 2023 earthquake in Turkey has commenced, concentrating on the collapse of an Adiyaman hotel that resulted in 72 fatalities. The Isias Grand hotel in Adiyaman hosted a school volleyball team from Turkish-controlled northern Cyprus and a group of tourist guides during the earthquake, with 11 individuals charged for violating construction regulations. The earthquake, occurring on February 6, claimed over 50,000 lives in Turkey and Syria, causing the collapse or severe damage of 160,000 buildings and displacing 1.5 million people.

Charges have been brought against 11 people for breaching construction rules in connection with the collapse of the Isias Grand hotel in Adiyaman during last year’s earthquake. The hotel, which housed a school volleyball team from northern Cyprus and tourist guides, was one of the numerous buildings affected by the earthquake, resulting in significant casualties. The Turkish government initiated investigations, leading to the arrest of nearly 200 individuals, including construction contractors and property owners, for their roles in the disaster.

The trial began with the prosecution focusing on the Isias Grand hotel in Adiyaman, where a tragic incident unfolded during the earthquake last year. A group of 39 individuals, including students, teachers, and parents, had chosen the hotel for a volleyball tournament. The collapse of the hotel resulted in the loss of 35 lives from the group, with only four parents surviving. The trial has prompted the families of the victims to demand severe sentences for the accused individuals and the inclusion of charges against Turkish officials responsible for licensing the hotel.

The Isias Grand hotel, operational since 2001, faced allegations of construction malpractice, including the improper use of materials and unauthorized additional floors in 2016. The indictment revealed that gravel and sand from the local river were mixed with construction materials in the hotel’s columns. Families of the victims expressed outrage, accusing the Culture and Tourism Ministry of neglecting proper inspections despite granting the hotel a four-star rating, and they insisted on accountability for those responsible.

The extensive building collapses resulting from the earthquake stirred widespread criticism of the Turkish government for encouraging a construction boom without effectively enforcing building regulations. The trial has intensified calls for accountability, with grieving families emphasizing the need to charge those responsible for the Isias Hotel’s approval and urging justice for the lives lost. If found guilty, the 11 defendants could face prison terms ranging from two years and eight months to more than 22 years.

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EU To Lift Ban Of Food Imports From Japan Post 2011 Nuclear Accident

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A government spokesperson in Japan has expressed the country’s welcome to the European Union (EU) potentially lifting restrictions on food imports that were imposed after the 2011 nuclear accident caused by an earthquake and tsunami. According to a report in the Nikkei newspaper, the EU is in the final stages of removing all restrictions on Japanese food, although the sources for this information were not disclosed.

The bans on food imports have been in effect since the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant was damaged by the earthquake and tsunami, resulting in multiple meltdowns. The spokesperson, Mr Hirokazu Matsuno, stated during a Tokyo press conference that the Japanese government appreciates the positive steps toward lifting the restrictions. It is hoped that easing the restrictions will contribute to the reconstruction efforts in the areas devastated by the nuclear disaster.

The 2011 earthquake and tsunami tragically claimed the lives of nearly 20,000 people along Japan’s Pacific coast. The meltdowns at the Fukushima nuclear plant led to the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents.

This news about the potential lifting of restrictions comes just before the visit of Rafael Mariano Grossi, the chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), to Japan. During his visit, Grossi will present the findings of the IAEA’s safety review regarding Japan’s plan to release water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean. The Japanese government intends to release 1.3 million metric tons of water that has been exposed to radiation inside the damaged power plant after removing most of its radioactive elements.

The water to be released contains traces of tritium, an isotope that is difficult to remove from water and has primarily been used to cool the damaged reactors. The IAEA plans to establish an office at the Fukushima plant during Grossi’s visit, indicating its ongoing involvement and oversight of the situation.

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Quake-hit Turkey issues 113 building arrest warrants

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According to Turkish authorities, 113 arrest warrants have been issued in relation to the building of the structures that were destroyed by the earthquake on Monday. There have already been at least 12 people detained by Turkish police, including construction workers.

Rescue operations have been hampered in some areas due to protests in southern Turkey. More than 28,000 individuals have now been officially declared dead in Turkey and Syria.

More arrests are anticipated, but many will interpret the move as an effort to shift responsibility for the catastrophe in general.

Since many new buildings in Turkey are unsafe because of widespread corruption and government practises, experts have been warning about this for years.

In order to promote a construction boom, including in earthquake-prone areas, those rules permitted so-called amnesties for contractors who flouted building regulations.

The earthquake caused the collapse of thousands of buildings, prompting concerns about whether human error contributed to the severity of the natural disaster. After 20 years in office, the president’s future is in jeopardy as elections approach.

The United Nations’ top humanitarian official, who was in the Turkish province of Kahramanmaras on Saturday, called the earthquake the “worst occurrence in this region in 100 years.”

For the first time in 35 years, the Turkish-Armenian border crossing reopened on Saturday to permit the passage of aid.

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Turkey and Syria earthquake: Bodies found in search for volleyball team

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Following Monday’s earthquakes, rescuers in Turkey are looking for a group of school volleyball players inside a collapsed hotel when they discover three bodies. Officials in Turkish-controlled northern Cyprus reported that the bodies of two teachers and a student were found in the Isias Hotel in Adiyaman.

39 individuals, including teams for both boys and girls, are alleged to have been present when the structure collapsed. The location, where the relatives of the players have gathered, is still under search.

In southern Turkey and northern Syria, the earthquakes have claimed thousands of lives. Along with their coaches and parents, the players had travelled to Adiyaman from Famagusta Turkish Maarif College.

Four members of the group are known to have survived the collapse of the seven-story building, having apparently made their own way out of the rubble.

Officials were quoted by Turkish-Cypriot media as claiming that an eighth-grade student was recovered after the bodies of two instructors were discovered on Wednesday, bringing the total number of fatalities to three.

Around 170 people, including family members and rescuers, have travelled to the wreckage from the portion of Northern Cyprus that is under Turkish control. They would stay there until the remaining pupils were located, according to an island education official.

One of the mothers at the scene questioned the structures’ construction and inquired as to whether they had undergone sufficient inspection.

It is known that deaths occurred in the two countries for close to 16,000 people. The World Health Organization has cautioned that without food, water, shelter, fuel, or electricity, many more people risk dying.

More than 72 hours after the disaster happened, expectations are dwindling for the numerous people left under wrecked structures as freezing weather creeps in.

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Turkey earthquake: Erdogan ‘responsible for this’ opposition leader says

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After thousands of people killed in two devastating earthquakes on Monday, anger in Turkey is building over what many see as the government’s lack of preparation. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the official death toll in Turkey has increased to 9,057 while visiting one of the worst-affected areas.

He is to blame for the extent of the destruction, according to the main opposition leader. Mr. Erdogan retaliated, claiming it was “impossible” to be ready for such a significant tragedy.

The Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority’s (AFAD) response was criticised by many in the worst-affected districts as being too delayed. Others claim that the government wasn’t adequately ready in advance.

“If there is one person responsible for this, it is Erdogan,” said Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of Turkey’s main opposition party.

The president disagreed with this. Additionally, he called “provocateurs” individuals who claimed that security officers had not been present at all in certain locations.

“This is a time for cooperation and support. I can’t stand it when people run smear campaigns for political gain during this time “He told the Hatay reporters.

He recognised some initial issues, but said the situation was now “under control” during another stop on his tour of sites in the disaster zone earlier today.

Tuesday, Arzu Dedeoglu said that two of her nieces were buried beneath the debris in the port city of Iskenderun in the southern region of Turkey. She claimed that although her family had arranged a digger using their own funds to remove the rubble, officials did not permit them to utilise it.

A “tax” imposed by the Turkish government in the wake of a devastating earthquake that claimed more than 17,000 lives in 1999 is also causing increasing outrage.

The estimated 88 billion lira ($4.6 billion; £3.8 billion) was intended for spending on emergency services improvement and disaster prevention.

Every time Turkey experiences an earthquake, questions concerning the “special communication tax,” as the authorities refer to it, are raised. However, the government has never made the money’s use public.

And Mr. Kilicdaroglu claimed that the government of Mr. Erdogan “had not made an earthquake preparation in 20 years.”

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Turkey earthquake: Erdogan announces three-month state of emergency in quake area

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In 10 of the regions most severely impacted by the earthquake that has killed thousands of people, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared a three-month state of emergency.

3,549 people have now died in Turkey, according to Mr. Erdogan. There have reportedly been 1,600 fatalities in Syria. In a televised speech, Mr. Erdogan stated that the purpose of declaring a state of emergency is to allow for “expeditiously carried out” rescue operations in the nation’s southeast.

Without providing more information, he said the steps will get aid personnel and money into the impacted areas. Just prior to the elections on May 14, when Mr. Erdogan will try to retain his position as president after 20 years, the state of emergency will end.

The last time a state of emergency was enacted in Turkey was in 2016 following a failed coup. Two years later, it was repealed. In a race against time to locate survivors of the earthquake that occurred early on Monday, rescuers in Turkey are facing heavy rain and snow.

The World Health Organization has issued a warning that the death toll may sharply increase as rescuers discover additional fatalities.

In scenes that were repeated around southern Turkey, heavy equipment worked through the night in the city of Adana, with lights lighting the collapsed buildings and enormous slabs of concrete.

Occasionally, when a survivor was discovered or when the dead were collected, the labour would stop and a cry of “Allahu Akbar” would be heard.

People who lost their homes as well as others who are afraid of aftershocks are all homeless in Adana. Some people departed without their shoes, coats, or phone chargers. Later this week, temperatures are predicted to fall below freezing.

According to the US Geological Survey, the 7.8 magnitude earthquake occurred on Monday at 04:17 (01:17 GMT) at a depth of 17.9 km (11 miles) close to the city of Gaziantep.

Later, a 7.5-magnitude earthquake with its epicentre in the Elbistan region of the Kahramanmaras province occurred. The main road leading to the Turkish city of Maras, which is close to the epicentre of the earthquake, was completely stopped in traffic on Tuesday morning.

Cars periodically plodded forward, their red brake lights illuminating the slick road. Only a few rescuers have so far arrived in this region of southern Turkey.

One search and rescue crew, on their way to the city with their van stocked with specialised tools and supplies, told the BBC that while they were excited to start searching for survivors, they were unaware of the extent of the destruction.

According to the most recent announcement from Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), 8,000 people have been saved nationwide from more than 4,700 demolished buildings.

Rescuers in some regions have been sifting through the debris with their bare hands as the aftershocks continue. But the cold is making it difficult to conduct searches.

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180 Dead After Powerful Quake In Turkey, Syria, People Were Sleeping

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The 7.8-magnitude earthquake, which had its epicentre in southeast Turkey close to the border between the two nations, left more than 110 people dead Monday in government-held areas of Syria, according to the Syrian health ministry. Turkish emergency service authorities first reported 76 fatalities, but they warned that number might rise sharply because the accident, which occurred at night, had destroyed dozens of apartment buildings around major cities.

“516 injuries and 111 deaths recorded in the provinces of Aleppo, Latakia, Hama and Tartus,” the ministry said in a statement. Earlier, a local hospital told AFP at least eight were killed in the northern areas controlled by pro-Turkish factions — bringing the country’s total to at least 119 dead. 

Television footage showed horrified Turks watching rescuers sift through the wreckage of destroyed homes while standing in the snow in their pyjamas.

According to the US agency, the earthquake occurred at 04:17 local time (0117 GMT) at a depth of roughly 17.9 kilometres (11 miles), and 15 minutes later, a 6.7-magnitude aftershock occurred.

The initial earthquake’s magnitude was estimated by Turkey’s AFAD emergency service centre to be 7.4. The quake was among the strongest to strike the area in at least a century.

The earthquake destroyed scores of structures in important southern Turkish cities as well as in the neighbouring country of Syria, which has been plagued by turmoil for more than ten years and is home to millions of displaced people.

Rescuers were seen sifting through the wreckage of demolished buildings in the cities of Karamanmaras and Gaziantep in images that appeared on Turkish television and social media.

In one of the images from Kahramanmaras, a fire lighted up the night sky, but its source was unknown.

Buildings also collapsed, according to NTV television, in the cities of Adiyaman, Malatya, and Diyarbakir.

The earthquake was reportedly felt in sections of central Turkey including the capital Ankara, according to CNN Turk television. Turkey is located in one of the seismically active regions of the planet.

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Earthquake jolts Turkey

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The eastern region of the European country of Turkey has experienced a severe earthquake of around 6.8 magnitudes.

As many as sixteen people have been died in the natural disaster. More than 400 rescue teams have been sent to the affected region.

Turkey is not new to earthquake. In the year 1999, over 17,000 people were killed in a Turkish city of Izmit due to earthquake.

The several mild tremors have followed the present earthquake. The local people have been advised not to return to the buildings damaged by the earthquake.

The effect of the earthquake has been felt in Syria, Lebanon and Iran also. At this juncture, it remains unclear whether the earthquake has created any damage in these countries.

What has been felt in these aforesaid countries is less serious than the one that has been experienced in Turkey.

Are you in the affected region? If it is safe to do so, please share your experience with us.


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