Probe ongoing into deadly electric shock during İzmir flood

İZMİR

Authorities continued their investigation into allegations of negligence on July 14 following the deaths of two individuals due to an electric shock from exposed wires during a flood in the western province of İzmir.

Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç announced on July 14 that arrests warrants have been issued for 29 suscpects.

On July 12, Özge Ceren Deniz, a 23-year-old fifth-year medical student, was electrocuted while attempting to cross the street amidst torrential rain. İnanç Öktemay, 44, who extended a hand to rescue Deniz, also succumbed to the electric current permeating the water.

Medical personnel performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on Deniz and Öktemay for several minutes. Despite their strenuous efforts and subsequent transfer to the hospital, both could not be saved.

The incident has since dominated the country’s headlines, as preliminary investigations suggested an electrical leak near the grates where the two individuals fell.

Several news agencies noted that local media had reported exposed electrical cables around the grates five years ago. Numerous local merchants also reported having repeatedly alerted authorities to the danger.

"Cables that should be at a depth of 80 centimeters appear to be at 30 centimeters, and there seems to be insufficient insulation,” Konak Mayor Nilüfer Çınarlı Mutlu said.

The İzmir branch of the Chamber of Electrical Engineers conducted its own investigation, saying there was an insulation error in the cables running from the transformer stations to the distribution panel on the street where the incident occurred.

“It is believed that this defect caused the tragic loss of life of our two citizens upon contact with water."

Nevertheless, both the İzmir Municipality and the electric distribution company refraining from assuming responsibility in their initial statements.

The İzmir Municipality asserted that its electrical installations are safeguarded against leakage currents by protective relays and that there had been no municipal infrastructure work in the area. The municipality pointed to the electric distribution company as the primarily culpable party due to the insulation issue.

The electric company contended that the responsibilities concerning the grates do not lie with them and stated that they had not received any complaints about the cables in the last six months.