Constructors of collapsed İzmir buildings detained

ISTANBUL

Around nine constructors and engineers responsible for having built buildings that collapsed in the Oct. 30 earthquake in Turkey’s Aegean region have been detained after an investigation started by the İzmir Chief Prosecutor’s Office.

According to officials, the detained are the constructors of the apartments named “Yağcıoğlu,” “Cumhuriyet,” “Yılmaz Erbek,” “Emrah” and “Doğanlar.”

The search for two more constructors believed to be responsible for the poorly constructed buildings is ongoing, the police officials said.

Police sources have also announced that three social media users have been nabbed due to their “hateful” messages about the earthquake.

“We have detected around 27 messages that contained degrading and virulent phrases just after the İzmir earthquake. We have found 16 people who have posted these messages and detained three,” said the police officials in a written statement.

“While we are fighting with a disaster, we are taking action against those ugly messages. We all need humanity,” Deputy Interior Minister Muhterem İnce wrote on his social media accounts.