‘Claims over columns cut in building where 36 died true’

KAHRAMANMARAŞ

The allegations that columns were cut on the ground floor of an apartment building where 36 people lost their lives as it collapsed in Kahramanmaraş-centered quakes in Türkiye’s south has been confirmed, a report by experts reveals.

The eight-story Ezgi Apartment in Mimar Sinan Neighborhood collapsed in the 7.7 magnitude earthquake on Feb. 6.

Thirty-six residents of the building died, while the remaining residents filed a complaint claiming that the columns were cut in the patisserie on the ground floor.

Within the scope of the investigation initiated by Kahramanmaraş Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, architect İbrahim Yiğiter, civil engineers Erdi Kavaklı and Mehmet Celalettin Somuncuoğlu were appointed as experts.

Following a detailed inspection, the expert team determined that columns were indeed cut on the ground floor and a report was submitted to the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.

The report included in the investigation file stated that according to the static project, it has been observed that there is one circular section column with a diameter of 40 centimeters located in the area between the C-D and the 3-4 axes that are not located on any axis.

The static project pointed out that the column is a designed column between the ground floor and the mezzanine of the patisserie, and that the relevant column is not present on the normal floors of the building.

It was seen that the column in question was not shown in the architectural project. In the on-site inspections, it has been observed that it is not in its place and has been cut.

Although it is believed that the column cut will affect the static structure of the building, whether it will cause the demolition of the building can be determined by experts through examinations within the scope of static calculations, the report said.