Turkey arrests contractors as earthquake death toll rises above 37,000

Feb. 13 (UPI) -- The Turkish government said Sunday it arrested 114 of the 131 contractors accused of being responsible for buildings heavily damaged in a devastating earthquake last week that officials said killed more than 37,000 people across two countries.

Vice President Fuat Oktay said the government identified the contractors in actions that could blame them for construction negligence and flaws that were exposed during the earthquake and its aftershocks.

"We will follow this up meticulously until the necessary judicial process is concluded, especially for buildings that suffered heavy damage and buildings that caused deaths and injuries," Oktay said, according to Politico.

Turkey's Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag echoed Oktay's sentiments, pointing to the contractors for not following rules they believe would have helped the buildings withstand the powerful earthquake.

The arrests and legal action come as anger intensifies over the failures by the Turkish government in the aftermath of the earthquake. Some have pointed fingers at President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the country not being prepared for the earthquake.

Environment Minister Murat Kurum confirmed that 24,921 buildings were destroyed across the region affected by the earthquake.

The death toll from the earthquake in Turkey reached 31,643 on Monday. The Syrian government said it has counted 1,414 deaths. The rebel-run Syrian Salvation Government Health Ministry said 3,160 have died in locations not controlled by the Syrian regime. ABC News reports 5,741 people have been killed in Syria including people in government and rebel-run regions.