Number of arrests over building collapses from Türkiye’s earthquakes rises to 247

ANKARA

At least 247 suspects have been arrested in investigations into building collapses in southern Türkiye in connection with the Feb. 6 earthquakes, according to judicial sources.

They include 93 contractors, 123 building supervisors and 13 owners, the sources said.

However, 322 suspects are being monitored under judicial control, including 78 contractors, 177 building supervisors and 37 building owners.

Meanwhile, arrest warrants have been issued for 198 suspects and detention orders for 102 suspects.

While two suspects are still in custody by the order of the Chief Prosecutor's Office, 35 suspects have been determined to be dead.

A total of nine suspects have been determined to be abroad and 82 suspects were released after their testimonies.

The death toll from devastating earthquakes that struck Türkiye last month has risen to 45,968, the country’s interior minister said Saturday.

Suleyman Soylu said this also includes 4,267 Syrians.

On Feb. 6, magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 quakes struck 11 Turkish provinces – Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Elazig, Hatay, Gaziantep, Kahramanmaras, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye and Sanliurfa.

More than 13 million people in Türkiye have been affected by the quakes, which also hit Syria.

Soylu said the region has been rocked by more than 13,000 aftershocks since the disaster.