One worker killed at Istanbul construction site

ISTANBUL

DHA Photo

One worker died on Feb. 23 after falling through an elevator shaft at a construction site in Istanbul, located next to the construction site of Torunlar Center, where 10 workers were killed in a workplace accident last September.

The accident reportedly took place at around 8.00 p.m., at the construction site of the Quasar Istanbul in the Şişli district. The worker, identified as 35-year-old Satılmış Yıldız, reportedly fell through an elevator shaft on the sixth floor, tumbling down to the seventh floor below ground level.

An investigation team examined the scene after the accident, while Yıldız’s body was sent for an autopsy.

Police forces were deployed to the front of the construction site with water cannon vehicles (TOMAs), anticipating protests against the construction company.

Şişli Mayor Hayri İnönü has conveyed his condolences via Twitter.

Another person, the owner of a subcontractor, also died at Quasar Istanbul after falling from the 12th floor on Oct. 17, 2014, while he was examining the construction site.

Ten workers had been killed after an elevator carrying them suddenly plunged to the ground from the 32th floor on Sept. 6 at Torunlar Center, raising concerns over work safety in Turkey.

Both the Torunlar Center and Quasar Istanbul are being built on the site of Galatasaray’s former home ground, the Ali Sami Yen Stadium, which belongs to the Emlak Housing Real Estate Investment Company (GYO), under the authority of the state’s Mass Housing Authority (TOKİ).

The Quasar Istanbul project is being built with the cooperation of the Viatrans and Meydanbey companies.