12.03.2026 20:18
In the Konak district of Izmir, 11 defendants who were sentenced to prison for "causing the death and injury of multiple people with conscious negligence" in relation to the deaths of 2 individuals who were electrocuted while trying to cross during heavy rain have been released.
In the Konak district of İzmir, 11 defendants who were sentenced to prison in the case of two people who lost their lives after being electrocuted while crossing the street during heavy rain were released. The court decided to obtain a new expert report.
11 RELEASED IN ELECTROCUTION TRAGEDY
The 14th Criminal Chamber of the İzmir Regional Court of Appeals evaluated the appeals against the prison sentences given to 30 defendants for the crime of "causing the death and injury of multiple people with conscious negligence" related to the incident in which 2 people lost their lives.
The chamber, which decided to hold a hearing for some defendants, released 11 defendants considering the nature and characteristics of the alleged crime, the substantial collection of evidence, the fault status of the defendants in the occurrence of the accident, and the duration they spent in detention.
The chamber decided to obtain a new report from a 5-member expert committee consisting of 2 electrical engineers, 2 civil engineers, and 1 urban planner, all of whom are experts in their fields from ITU/METU.
TRAPPED IN A PUDDLE, THEY LOST THEIR LIVES TO ELECTRICITY
On July 12, 2024, in the Alsancak neighborhood of the Konak district of İzmir, Özge Ceren Deniz (23) and İnanç Öktemay (44), who was trying to save her, lost their lives after stepping into a puddle and being electrocuted while attempting to cross the street during heavy rain.
The expert report stated that GDZ Electricity did not bury its cables at a sufficient depth near the puddle, and that İZSU brought the cables closer to the surface during the construction of the grate, indicating that the lack of sufficient coordination between the two institutions contributed to the occurrence of the incident.
A total of 46 suspects were apprehended in connection with the incident, 13 of whom were arrested. During the trial, the case of 6 defendants, 2 of whom were detained, was separated due to their status as civil servants, and in an interim decision, 4 detained defendants were released.
A new expert committee was formed by the court, and a re-examination was conducted at the site of the deaths on December 9, 2024, resulting in a new expert report.
In the decision hearing on October 10, the court sentenced 30 defendants to prison terms ranging from 4 years and 2 months to 10 years, acquitted 9 defendants, and ordered the arrest of 6 defendants who were previously released.