Court Stops Evacuation of Fatal Building in Avcılar.
A Fatal Incident in Istanbul Draws Attention to Building Safety Measures
A tragic incident in Istanbul has highlighted the importance of building safety measures. Mahbup Uzunay, aged 38, was killed when a large concrete piece fell from the exterior of a 4-storey building on Ahmet Taner Kışlalı Street in Merkez Mahallesi on Tuesday, April 25. Following the incident, the Avcılar Municipality Urban Planning and Zoning Directorate started an investigation and found that the iron columns in the building were corroded and that some beams had been pierced and pipes had been passed through.
The building in question had been licensed in 1986 and was considered high risk. The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality teams decided to evacuate the owners of flats and workplaces in the building. However, they were given 15 days to evacuate the building, which caused concern among residents and business owners.
The health center in the building also expressed concern, as they were still accepting patients. Director Ismail Sazlı stated that core samples had been taken so that the building could undergo urban transformation, and that they had sued the Istanbul Regional Administrative Court for 20 days until the results came out. He also said that “the decision has been conveyed to the Avcılar Municipality. We continue to accept patients. The results of the core samples will be released within this period. If a caries report comes out, there is a legal period of 90 days. If this report is objected to, the process will be prolonged.”
Meanwhile, an investigation into the incident by the Küçükçekmece Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office is ongoing. This incident serves as a reminder that building safety measures must always be a top priority to prevent such tragedies from occurring.
