Over 20 people arrested over alleged involvement in destroyed buildings in Feb. 6 quakes in Türkiye

ISTANBUL/GAZIANTEP, Türkiye

A number of suspects were arrested in Türkiye on Thursday over their alleged involvement in destroyed buildings in powerful Feb. 6 earthquakes, local authorities said.

Yasin Akbas, the contractor of three building complexes in Adiyaman province that were destroyed and claimed over 100 lives, was arrested in Istanbul on Thursday by Istanbul Police Department Financial Crimes Branch teams.

Some 22 people were also arrested as part of an investigation regarding some buildings destroyed in the earthquake in Gaziantep's Nurdagi and Islahiye districts, Governor Davut Gul said on his social media accounts.

Noting that 80 people, including the contractor and building inspection officers, are still being sought, Gul said: "Independent courts will make the most fair decision."