Two children lost their lives by falling into construction pit in western Turkey

​Two siblings in Turkey’s western province of Izmir fell into a construction pit while playing and lost their lives
Tuesday, 16 January 2018 23:20

Two brothers fell into a construction pit full of water while playing in a wasteland in Karabağlar district of Izmir last weekend. Yusuf Tencirlioğlu (7) and his brother Ali Tencirlioğlu (5), who were taken to the hospital after rescue efforts, lost their lives despite all medical intervention.

Izmir Provincial Coordination Committee of the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) has made a statement regarding the death of two children on January 16, 2017.

Stating that "This disaster occurred due to a construction pit excavated by imprudent practices ignoring the importance of human life for roadwork as part of urban transformation area by an Istanbul-based construction company", TMMOB Izmir Provincial Coordination Committee noted, "The incident is one of the most tragic evidence showing that urban transformation projects are in the service of unearned income instead of safer and healthier living quarters."

Saying that the Occupational Health and Safety Commission of the Chamber of Civil Engineers examined the scene of crime, the TMMOB statement underlined, "The construction company responsible for the construction did not take any necessary measurement determined in the 'Regulation on Occupational Health and Safety in Constructional Works"'.

In the statement, TMMOB authorities noted that there was no officer for the entrances and exits of the construction site, no barrier was placed around the excavation area to prevent people from falling into the pit, and the excavation was not closed.

Moreover, TMMOB stated that there were no warning signs or hazard tapes in and around the construction site. According to the current regulation, the relevant authorities must take necessary measures to prevent people from falling into the excavation area and possible deaths or injuries.​