Turkish police detained 12 people after buildings collapsed in the southeastern provinces of Gaziantep and Sanliurfa, local media reported on Saturday, after a major earthquake struck Turkey.
Those arrested included contractors, the DHA news agency said. At least 6,000 buildings collapsed after the 7.8-magnitude quake hit the region, killing more than 25,000 people, sparking outrage over poor housing quality.
More arrests are expected after the public prosecutor in Diyarbakir, one of 10 southeastern provinces affected by the earthquake, issued arrest warrants for 29 people on Saturday, state news agencies reported.
One of those arrested on Saturday was a building contractor in Gaziantep, the agency said, adding that he was found by police in Istanbul.
There has been a wave of investigations launched by prosecutors in the affected provinces including Kahramanmaras where the Pazarcik district was at the epicenter.
Turkey’s justice ministry has ordered prosecutors in 10 provinces to create special “earthquake crime investigation offices”.
On Friday, Turkish police arrested the contractor of a high-rise luxury flat block that collapsed in Hatay province.
He was detained at Istanbul airport after reportedly trying to flee the country.