Girl Dies of Neglience in Road Construction

A five-year-old girl dropped into a manhole covered only with a cartoon plaque during road construction. She drowned and her corpse has been covered from canalization drainage hours later.

The incident took place in Şirinevler district of Istanbul. Contractor firm MVM Construction and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality failed to provide the necessary security cautions around the construction site.

Such events occur frequently as civil servants fail to control construction sites. For example a car had plumbed into a dwell three years ago in İzmir, says Tayfun Kahraman fo the Chamber of City Planners.

The Metropolitan Municipality has to inspect sites and make sure that contractor companies take foreseen cautions; therefore they have the main responsibility in this tragic incident, adds Kahraman.

"Also, a community consciousness must raise among citizens, so that they become sensitive to such issues and pressure governors".

Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Kadir Topbaş blamed the contactor company while they rejected responsibility saying the manhole doors have been stolen. An investigation has been started into the incident.(NZ/EÜ)