Officials Arrest Contractors After Quakes

February 12, 2023 8:09 am

ANTAKYA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish officials have detained or issued arrest warrants for some 130 people allegedly involved in shoddy and illegal construction methods after a pair of earthquakes collapsed thousands of buildings in southeast Turkey and northern Syria six days ago. Turkish authorities have vowed to punish anyone responsible and prosecutors have begun gathering samples of buildings for evidence on materials used in construction. The death toll from Monday’s quakes stands at 28,191 as of Sunday morning. Rescuers are recovering scores of bodies but also rejoicing when they discover the living. One 6-year-old boy was removed from the debris of his home in Adiyaman city 151 hours after the quake.