ISTANBUL — 1993 · Major Tragedy
Ümraniye Hekimbaşı landfill explosion
On the morning of 28 April 1993, methane gas that had built up in the Hekimbaşı landfill in Ümraniye, where rubbish from Istanbul's Asian side was dumped, exploded. Thousands of tonnes of waste then slid onto the shanty neighbourhood at the foot of the dump; eleven houses were buried and 39 people were killed. The disaster was caused by uncontrolled dumping and the absence of gas venting chimneys. It pushed Istanbul's waste problem to the centre of the political agenda. On the application of a relative of victims, the European Court of Human Rights ruled in Öneryıldız v. Turkey that the state had violated its obligation to protect the right to life.
- Date
- 1993
- Place
- Ümraniye (Hekimbaşı), Istanbul
- Category
- Major Tragedy
- Case Status
- Closed
- Coordinates
- 41.0450, 29.1300 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 28 April 1993Methane exploded at the Hekimbaşı landfill; waste slid onto the shanty homes.
- April 1993Search operations confirmed that 39 people had died.
- 1993–1994Investigations were opened into municipal officials; waste became an election issue.
- 2004The ECtHR found a violation of the right to life in Öneryıldız v. Turkey.
Sources
- Vikipedi — Ümraniye çöp patlaması tr.wikipedia.org ↗
- TRT Haber — 28 yıllık unutulmayan acı 'Hekimbaşı' trthaber.com ↗
- Webtekno — Hekimbaşı Çöplük Patlaması webtekno.com ↗
- Wikipedia (TR)
- TRT Haber
- Webtekno
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.