A Turkish court has sentenced a man to 865 years in prison for his role in constructing a building that collapsed during the devastating February 2023 earthquake, killing 96 people, state media reported.
The 14-storey apartment block in Adana, southern Turkey, was levelled by the 7.8-magnitude quake that claimed over 53,500 lives in Turkey and nearly 6,000 in Syria. Of the building’s residents, only one survived.
Built in 1975, the collapse of the structure raised concerns, as much of Adana—located roughly 200 kilometres (120 miles) from the earthquake’s epicentre—had been spared the worst of the tremors.
Hasan Alpargun, the builder, was convicted of “causing death and injury to multiple people with possible intent,” according to the state-run Anadolu news agency.
Alpargun had fled to Turkish-backed Northern Cyprus on the day of the disaster but surrendered to police a week later.
During the trial, experts highlighted serious flaws in the building’s structural columns and the poor quality of the concrete used. Alpargun claimed that the construction had been approved by local authorities.
In the aftermath of the earthquake, more than 260 individuals involved in constructing collapsed buildings were arrested, with some attempting to flee Turkey. Trials for several of these individuals have begun this year.
