AMED TIMES - The death toll has risen to 15 and hundreds of animals have perished in the fire that broke out in the farmlands between Diyarbakır's Çınar district and Mardin's Mazıdağı district on Friday. Speaking to the Amed Times about the fire, HÜDA PAR Diyarbakır Provincial President Zeynul Abidin Gülsever made significant statements, noting that the electrical lines had not been repaired since 1985.
Gülsever: "The wires had been corroded since 1985"
Gülsever emphasised that the power lines had not been repaired for 30 years and that the villagers had their electricity cut off immediately if they could not pay the bills. He said: "Köksalan was the centre, but there was also a settlement in Düzova. It was not declared a disaster area, but it suffered considerable damage. The power lines date back to 1985, the time of the late Turgut Özal; they are made of copper, corroded and randomly connected to each other. This is unacceptable. You switch off the electricity immediately when the villagers cannot pay their bills, but you have not carried out any maintenance work, which should be done every 7 years. It's been like this since 1985, more than 30 years."
"The villagers have been looking for helicopters, but there were none"
Gülsever pointed to the lack of coordination between the government and the communities during the fire and added: "We don't want to defame anyone, but when we arrived at the scene, the villagers were there, but there were no planes or helicopters. The villagers were looking for helicopters, but there were none. They made the excuse that there had been no prior reconnaissance. But the helicopters should have been there."
"Communities and local authorities have failed"
Gülsever explained that the municipalities and local authorities failed in this matter: "The municipalities tried to shift the blame to the other side and whitewash themselves; there was not a single fire engine on site, neither from the large municipalities of Diyarbakır and Mardin nor from the surrounding districts within a radius of halfan hour to an hour. This is unacceptable. The municipalities have failed, the local authorities have failed. I don't know if there was malice involved, but they left the people in this state. Soldiers and citizens tried desperately to put out the fire, but it was impossible in this wind; it should have been put out with helicopters and fire engines."
In conclusion, Gülsever emphasised that the authorities must be careful and take the necessary precautions.