Trial over collapsed building in Turkey's earthquake postponed

The trial concerning the collapse of the Ermeç Apartment building in Malatya, which resulted in the deaths of 19 people and injuries to 5 others during the February earthquakes, has been adjourned. The building, located in the Battalgazi district, was destroyed in the quakes that originated in Kahramanmaraş.

The Malatya Chief Public Prosecutor's Office had initiated legal proceedings against several individuals. These include contractors Hasan Hüseyin Ermeç and Abdulvahap Gündoğan, technical supervisor Metin Karataş, construction engineers Alper Yiğit and Ahmet Özer who were employed by the Malatya Municipality at the time, and the acting Deputy Director of Zoning, Duran Özdemir. They face charges of "conscious negligence causing multiple deaths and injuries."

The trial commenced at the Malatya 2nd High Criminal Court, but none of the parties involved attended the hearing. It was stated during the proceedings that an expert report requested from Yalova University had not yet been received.

Consequently, the court decided to postpone the trial until September 9, pending the submission and review of the expert report. This delay means the families of the victims will have to wait longer for justice.