Turkey investigates building contractors as earthquake deaths pass 33,000

The investigations were done years ago. Many contractors were found to have constructed buildings with sub-standard specifications. Instead of making them repair the buildings they just fined the construction companies and swept it under the carpet. Now, they are going to investigate again due to the public outcry. Too little too late I’m afraid.

Several builders have been arrested. Some were caught trying to escape the country.

Look at the photos - buildings pancaked just next to those apparently untouched. Gotta be due to substandard construction.

The government is looking for an escape goat now that anger is focused on them. Don't blame the contractors blame the authority who failed in every step of the way.

From bad construction codes, to Permits, Inspection, city planning, and so on. Many experts are stating that much of the death could have been avoidable simply if city planning and zoning was done with earthquakes safety in mind.

For thousands of years people believed earthquakes were a sign of divine wrath provoked by the wickedness of mankind. Today, thanks to science, some of us know better. The destruction caused is another question: earthquakes reveal the fault lines of corrupt business practices rife in the building trade of many countries, a no brainer that must have occurred to many when first surveying the scenes of collapsed buildings amid others still standing. After counting the dead and ministering to the survivors, accountability and draconian punishment for the guilty must follow for the sake of justice on earth (and to save Erdogan's political bacon?).

We know that Japan is expecting a big quake. We are told that buildings in Tokyo are mainly earthquake proof after ‘95. We really have to wonder exactly how safe we are from n Tokyo.

Scape Goats go "baaaaa". Where were the building codes or building inspections? Most certainly bought by enough lira so government officials and businessmen were happy.

Similar situation with the Mexico City earthquake back in the 1980s. They found that with a lot of the buildings, the construction companies had cut down on the costly materials and pocketed the money.

Even taking into consideration the bad building practices........The ( so called ) "International community" has seriously failed Turkey and Syria.

japancatToday  11:44 am JST

Even taking into consideration the bad building practices........The ( so called ) "International community" has seriously failed Turkey and Syria.

Syria is a warzone, hasn't declared a state of emergency (which is necessary to receive foreign aid), and funds get stolen. The devastation is so vast in Turkey that it's impossible to get to everyone in need in time.

The 'so-called' international community doesn't just mean governments and organizations. It also includes individuals like yourself. If you're going to point your finger and just blame then the question is; what have done? Have you even made a donation?

Even taking into consideration the bad building practices........The ( so called ) "International community" has seriously failed Turkey and Syria.

Depending on who is doing the estimating somewhere between 6,000 and 10,000 buildings collapsed in Turkiye. What do you expect exactly? Search and rescue teams came from over 70 nations. One from California brought a portable emergency room with them. Most of these teams sadly have lots of experience from previous quakes in Chile, Japan, China, Iran and Indonesia, but this many buildings collapsing is unprecedented in modern times. You almost have to go back to the 1976 Tianjin earthquake to find a similar level of destruction.

Would it not be reasonable to assume that responsibility starts at the top, with Erdogan?

The Turkish president lives in a 1,100-room palace.

wallace...

The Turkish president lives in a 1,100-room palace.

And other world leaders live in tents or carboard boxes?

A 4-year-old girl was pulled out alive after 178 hours under the debris.

That's a bit late... perhaps they should have done so a number of years ago.

Rather than wasting resources now, in a finger pointing game, they really should be mobilizing as much effort as possible in getting relief out to those who need it... people are still, to this day, being pulled out from under the rubble. So leave, the finger pointing till later.