In earthquake-prone Turkey, fury rises over poor construction standards after buildings suffer ‘pancake collapse’

More than 12,000 buildings, some constructed only six months ago, fell apart in a country where construction firms that are often close to the government overlook safety standards

Experts also blamed poor concrete grade, relaxed regulations and engineers and architects’ low quality of education for the catastrophe

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Collapsed buildings in Kahramanmaras, southeastern Turkey. Photo: AFP

Published: 11:58am, 11 Feb 2023Updated: 11:56pm, 14 Feb 2023

The flats they once industriously spent so long saving up for, decorating and making comfortable now lie in a heap of rubble after a violent quake hit Turkey.

New and old buildings, some constructed only six months ago, fell apart. Others flattened like concrete pancakes.

The full extent of the damage is unknown from Monday’s 7.8-magnitude tremor and ceaseless aftershocks, which unleashed catastrophe in Turkey and Syria, killing more than 24,000 people.

Turkey’s death toll rises every day. In parallel, so has fury over why, in a country with multiple fault lines and a history of major jolts, building quality is so poor that buildings fall apart like paper.

Experts say Turkey has the regulations in place to prevent such a catastrophe. But they are only applied loosely by construction companies, the largest of which are often close to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Officials say 12,141 buildings were either destroyed or seriously damaged in Turkey.