Istanbul building collapse death toll rises to five
Five people died and ten were rescued alive when part of a seven-storey building collapsed in Istanbul's Maltepe district, officials said.
Five people died and ten were rescued alive, including three children, when the lower three floors of a seven-storey apartment block collapsed in Istanbul's Maltepe district before dawn on Thursday, Istanbul governor Davut Gul said. The search of the rubble ended at around 6:15am local time.
The collapse hit a building on Dogu Street in the Cevizli neighbourhood, on Istanbul's Asian side. Firefighters sent 56 vehicles and 175 personnel, backed by a search-and-rescue dog, while disaster agency AFAD sent a further 25 personnel, broadcaster NTV reported. One woman pulled from the building, named by Turkish media as Fatma Turhan, said she had initially thought an earthquake had struck before firefighters helped her outside, Cumhuriyet reported.
The ground floor of the building housed a textile workshop. Its owner had filmed cracks widening in the walls before the collapse and said they had grown significantly worse since April, Polish outlet WP reported.
Six survivors remained in hospital, one of them in serious condition, Gul said, adding that none was in a life-threatening condition. The building's remaining four floors, which had tilted to one side, were later demolished in a controlled operation to reduce pressure on the rubble still being searched, NTV reported.
Maltepe mayor Esin Koymen said an initial review of municipal archives found that the building's top two floors had been added illegally after it received its occupancy permit. The block was built in 1987 with a ground floor and two storeys under the original permit; three more floors, two of them unauthorised, were added later, Gul and Koymen said.
Prosecutors opened an investigation into the collapse. Police detained the building's architect, Hasan Balci, and its site manager, Mevlut Okumus, NTV reported. The original contractor, Dursun Baskici, died in 2016, the broadcaster said.
Authorities evacuated three nearby buildings housing 55 residents as a precaution, and found temporary hotel rooms for 44 people, including 8 from the collapsed block, Istanbul's governorate said.
What we know
- Official · governor Davut Gul Five people died when the lower three floors of a seven-storey building collapsed in Istanbul's Maltepe district before dawn on Thursday, governor Davut Gul said.
- 2+ outlets · Cumhuriyet, NTV Türkiye Rescuers freed 10 people alive from the rubble, including three children, before the search ended around 6:15am local time.
- Official · mayor Esin Koymen An initial review found the building's top two floors had been added illegally after its occupancy permit was issued, mayor Esin Koymen said.
- 1 outlet · NTV Türkiye Police detained the building's architect and site manager; the original contractor died in 2016, NTV reported.
- 2+ outlets · Cumhuriyet, Sözcü Three nearby buildings housing 55 residents were evacuated as a precaution.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Why it matters for Europe
Istanbul and other Turkish cities are running an urban renewal programme meant to replace older buildings considered most at risk in an earthquake, particularly those built before the 1999 Marmara earthquake, officials told WP. Interest in checking buildings' structural safety rose further after the 2023 earthquakes in south-eastern Turkey, officials said.
Sources
Reported by 5 reports from 5 independent outlets in 2 countries.
- Cumhuriyet: Maltepe'de 7 katlı binanın 3 katı çöktü: Kurtarılanlar konuştu
- NTV Türkiye: Maltepe'de 7 katlı binanın 3 katı çöktü. İki can kaybı
- WP Wiadomości: Pierwsze piętra się "zapadły". Katastrofa bloku w Stambule
- Interia Fakty: Katastrofa budowlana w Stambule. Są ofiary śmiertelne
- Sözcü: Maltepe'de çöken binanın çevresindeki 2 bina mühürlendi
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- How many people died in the Istanbul building collapse?
- Five people died after the lower three floors of the building collapsed, Istanbul governor Davut Gul said.
- Why did the building collapse?
- Officials said an initial review found the top two of the building's four added floors had been built illegally after its occupancy permit was issued; an investigation is under way.
- Was anyone arrested?
- Police detained the building's architect and its site manager, broadcaster NTV reported.
This article was written with AI assistance from 5 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.