06.06.2025 16:50
In the fire tragedy in Diyarbakır, where a mother and her three children lost their lives, a chain of negligence in the 13-story building has come to light. It was found that the electrical shaft was partially closed off with concrete, cables were pulled by bending around corners, flammable PVC cables were used, the shaft was utilized as a storage space with items such as a gas cylinder and an ironing board left inside, and there was no ventilation shaft.
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In the Fırat neighborhood of the Kayapınar district in Diyarbakır, a fire broke out last night in a 13-story apartment building located on 564th Street, resulting in the deaths of Bircan Çavdar and her children Yunus Emre (12), Zeynep (4), and Elif Çavdar (4). A chain of negligence was revealed in the fire disaster, which also injured 13 people.
Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality Co-Chair Serra Bucak made a statement regarding the fire in front of the municipality, accompanied by co-chair and council member Doğan Hatun, Kayapınar Municipality Co-Chair Cengiz Dündar, Yenişehir Municipality Co-Chair Safiye Akdağ, and DEM Party Provincial Chair Abbas Yeşil.
FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AT THE SCENE IN 9 MINUTES Serra Bucak expressed her condolences to the relatives of the deceased, stating that the report was received at the 112 command center at 18:08 and subsequently reported to the teams at 18:11. Bucak noted that the teams moved towards the scene at 18:12 upon receiving the report and arrived at 18:17, stating that intervention began with 6 fire trucks, 3 of which were ladder trucks, and 44 firefighters. She indicated that due to the inadequacy of smoke evacuation caused by the building's construction technique and the presence of toxic gases accumulating inside the building, it was necessary to evacuate the building from the outside, directing trapped citizens to the balconies.
"EVACUATION OF OUR CITIZENS FROM BALCONIES WAS CARRIED OUT" Bucak stated, "The evacuation of our directed citizens from the balconies was carried out using ladder fire trucks. Simultaneously, the stairs and corridors inside the apartment were also checked, and the evacuation of 21 citizens trapped in panic on the stairs was ensured through breathing apparatus. Unfortunately, despite all our efforts, 4 of our citizens lost their lives due to the toxic gas they inhaled," she said.
"NOT A RESIDENTIAL FIRE, BUT A COMPLETE BUILDING FIRE" Bucak mentioned that the first report was made to the 112 command center as a residential fire, but upon arrival at the scene, it was observed that the fire was not a residential fire but a complete building fire caused by the electrical shaft void.
A CHAIN OF NEGLIGENCE WAS REVEALED Bucak shared some deficiencies they identified and continued her speech with the following statements:
"At the same time, deficiencies in the structure were identified as follows. Starting from the ground floor of the building to the top floor, there were no ventilation openings or windows in both the intermediate corridors and fire escape stairs, which hindered smoke and heat evacuation. The fire escape doors did not have an automatic closing system, there was no ventilation opening in the attic, the electrical cables in the electrical shaft void, which was the cause of the fire, were piled up and drawn to the roof, the electrical shaft void was partially closed with concrete instead of being completely open on each floor, cables were pulled by breaking from the corners, and instead of using non-flammable halogen-free cables, flammable PVC cables were used, which were insufficient in terms of electrical carrying capacity. The outer covers of the electrical shaft void were also made of PVC material, which can easily ignite and release a large amount of toxic gas. It was found that the electrical shaft void was used as a storage area where various items (such as a picnic gas cylinder, ironing board, baby stroller, etc.) were left, and the electrical shaft void was not extended to the roof but ended on the roof floor. Due to the reasons listed above, many deficiencies were identified that violate the Regulation on Fire Protection of Buildings No. 26735 and the Building Inspection Law No. 4708. An administrative investigation has been initiated regarding the incident."
INVESTIGATION OF THE CONTRACTOR AND THE MUNICIPALITY Bucak stated that an investigation has also been initiated against the contractor of the building, the relevant municipality that issued the permit, and the fire department affiliated with the Metropolitan Municipality, saying, "We promise that the details of the investigation will be concluded transparently. The prosecutor's office has initiated a detailed investigation regarding the building regulations. Our fire department has provided written and verbal statements for testimony. The pain we experienced on the eve of the holiday is hard to describe. We promise that all responsible parties will be revealed and that such an incident will never happen again. We extend our condolences to the grieving family," she said.
An official investigation regarding the fire has been initiated by the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, and two public prosecutors have been assigned under the coordination of a chief public prosecutor. Meanwhile, the deceased were buried by their relatives in tears.
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