A seven-storey residential tower block has collapsed in Istanbul, killing two people and triggering a desperate search for remaining residents trapped under debris.
Authorities said the lower three floors of the building caved in at around 5.40am local time in the Maltepe district on the Asian side of the city.
Emergency crews rushed to Doğu Street in the Cevizli neighbourhood after receiving reports that multiple residents were buried beneath tons of concrete and twisted metal.
Top floors of the structure remained standing, allowing firefighters to safely evacuate residents stranded on the upper levels.
Rescue workers using heavy machinery, search dogs, and acoustic listening devices have now established contact with several victims buried inside the lower section.
The number of people believed to be trapped under the rubble remains uncertain.
So far, nine people – including three children – have been rescued, according to regional outlets.
At the scene, Istanbul governor Davut Gül confirmed that rescue teams have made contact with a six-year-old child trapped beneath the debris, but are currently being forced to alter their approach due to the site’s instability.
“Our teams made contact with several individuals trapped beneath the rubble shortly after arriving,” he told reporters, adding that specialised units are working under extreme caution to prevent further collapse.
The cause of the structural failure remains under investigation.
The incident comes just months after a natural gas leak led to an explosion, bringing down two residential buildings in Istanbul’s Fatih district. The event in March killed one person, and injured 10 others.
According to Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality’s latest research, more than half of the buildings it has inspected in the past year are classed as either “high” or “very-high” risk spaces in the event of an earthquake.
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