Two killed after building partially collapses in Turkiye’s Istanbul

Eight survivors rescued from the rubble as fears of further collapse slow operations in Istanbul’s Maltepe district.

At least two people have been killed after a seven-storey building in Turkiye’s Istanbul partially collapsed, officials said.

Emergency crews were trying to reach at least two people who were believed to be trapped, authorities said on Thursday.

The cause of the collapse was not immediately known, and an investigation was under way.

The building’s three lower floors, including a ground-floor shop, caved in before dawn in the district of Maltepe, on the Asian side of Istanbul, a city that is bisected by the Bosporus Strait.

Residents from the upper floors were safely evacuated while search teams rescued eight more people from the rubble.

The rescuers recovered two bodies and were trying to reach two people still believed to be inside, according to the Istanbul governor’s office.

Earlier, Istanbul Governor Davut Gul said rescuers had made contact with a 6-year-old trapped in the rubble. It was not immediately clear if the child was among those rescued.

He warned that the building was at risk of further collapse, hampering the rescue efforts. Nearby buildings were also evacuated for safety, the governor said.

Istanbul and other parts of Turkiye are undergoing an urban transformation programme that aims to replace old and earthquake-prone buildings with safer housing.