PATTAYA, April 23 — A Turkish engineer wanted over a deadly building collapse during Turkiye’s 2023 earthquake was arrested here today after being on the run for more than a year.

Abdullah Aybaba, 76, was detained at a hotel here after Thai immigration police acted on an Interpol Red Notice issued at the request of Turkish authorities, The Bangkok Post reported.

He is accused of negligence linked to the collapse of the 16-storey Sami Bey Apartment in Adana, a city in southern Turkiye during the February 6, 2023 earthquake.

The building became one of the many structures that failed when a massive 7.7-magnitude quake struck southern Turkiye, killing more than 60,000 people across Turkiye and Syria.

In Adana alone, the Sami Bey Apartment collapse killed 40 residents, with the building reduced to rubble within seconds of the tremors.

Authorities say Abdullah, who was the contractor and construction supervisor, fled during early legal proceedings and evaded arrest while a court case against him and other defendants continued in Turkiye.

Investigators later concluded the building had been constructed with substandard materials, forming part of wider scrutiny into construction safety failures after the earthquake.

The case has been politically and legally sensitive in Turkiye, where multiple contractors have faced prosecution over collapsed buildings that failed to meet seismic standards.

Thai police said Abdullah was tracked down after a tip-off and arrested without incident before being handed over to immigration officials.

His arrest is expected to trigger extradition proceedings as Turkish authorities push for his return to face trial.