Two individuals lost their lives to electrocution during a downpour in İzmir's Konak district on Saturday, sparking a public outcry and an investigation. The victims, identified as Özge Ceren Deniz, 23, and İnanç Öktemay, 44, were attempting to find shelter from the rain when they stepped into a puddle that concealed a lethal electrical hazard.
The incident has led to the detention of 20 individuals as part of the ongoing investigation. Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç announced that, based on the preliminary expert report, arrest warrants were issued for 29 people deemed responsible. Efforts continue to apprehend other suspects currently outside the province.
Cause of the leakage
Among those detained are key officials from the İzmir Water and Sewerage Administration (İZSU), and Gdz Elektrik, the regional electricity distribution company. The expert report prepared for the investigation highlighted negligence on the part of both institutions, pointing to a power cable trapped under a rainwater drain cover and damaged insulation as the cause of the fatal ground fault.
The report further criticized the inadequate burial depth of the power cables, which were found to be only 15 centimeters deep at the point of contact, significantly shallower than the regulatory requirement of 60 to 80 centimeters. This critical oversight, compounded by a drainage pipe that elevated the cables towards the cover, was identified as a primary cause of the accident.
After the incident, previous local media reports drawing attention to the electrical leak on the street have resurfaced. One particular headline from 2019 in the Ege Telgraf newspaper read, 'Should Someone Die for This to Be Solved?'" (EMK/VK)