Owner of collapsed hotel in quake-hit Van sentenced to 11 years in jail

AN – Doğan News Agency

After the collapse of the hotel, a large controversy arose over which authority provided a passing grade in the damage assessment report for the Bayram Hotel after the 7.2 quake DHA Photo

The owner of the hotel where 24 four people died during the aftershock of an earthquake in the eastern province of Van has been sentenced to 11 years and a month in prison.

Tevfik Bayram, the owner of the Bayram Hotel, was accused of causing the deaths of 24 people by continuing operations while neglecting damages incurred after the 7.2-magnitude earthquake in Van on Oct. 23, 2011, that killed over 600.

After the collapse of the Bayram hotel during the 5.6-magnitude aftershock on Nov. 9, 2011, 24 people, including two reporters from Doğan news agency (DHA), Sebahattin Yılmaz and Cem Emir, as well as Japanese doctor Atsushi Miyazaki, were killed.

Families of the victims issued criminal complaints against the governor of Van, officials from the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD), and the owners of the Bayram Hotel on charges of negligence.

Following the criminal complaint, a legal probe by the Van prosecutor was launched and Bayram was arrested on July 2, 2012.

After the collapse of the hotel, a large controversy arose over which authority provided a passing grade in the damage assessment report for the Bayram Hotel after the 7.2 quake.

An expert report issued upon a demand by the Van prosecutor revealed no damage assessment was conducted for the hotel after the first earthquake in 2011.