Rescue teams in Istanbul are scrambling to reach at least seven people, including a 6-year-old child, still trapped inside a partially collapsed seven-story building where the lower floors caved in before dawn.
The collapse struck the district of Maltepe, on the Asian side of the city, in the early hours of Thursday. The building’s three lowest levels, which included a ground-floor shop, gave way while residents on the upper floors were evacuated safely, according to Istanbul Governor Davut Gul.
Gul said rescue workers had already pulled five survivors from the rubble and were pressing ahead with efforts to reach those still inside. He added that teams had established contact with the trapped 6-year-old but could not reach the child from their position and were attempting a new angle of approach.
The governor warned that the structure remained unstable and at risk of further collapse, complicating the already dangerous rescue operation. Nearby buildings were evacuated as a precaution, he said.
The cause of the collapse had not been determined by Thursday, and an investigation was underway.
Istanbul sits astride the Bosporus Strait, which divides the city between its European and Asian sides. Maltepe, a densely populated district on the eastern shore, has seen rapid development alongside older construction.
Turkey has been pushing an ambitious urban transformation program across Istanbul and other cities, aiming to tear down aging structures deemed at risk in earthquakes and replace them with safer housing. The initiative gained urgency after catastrophic quakes in February 2023 killed more than 50,000 people in southern Turkey and northern Syria, exposing deadly flaws in building standards and enforcement.
Thursday’s predawn collapse came without the trigger of a major seismic event, leaving officials to examine whether structural failure, poor maintenance, or other factors were responsible. The building had stood seven stories tall before its lower levels crumpled, raising questions about its original construction and any subsequent modifications.
Gul’s office has not indicated how many people were inside the building when it failed or whether the five pulled from debris suffered injuries. The rescue operation was continuing as daylight broke over the city, with teams working against the threat of additional collapse.
The urban renewal program has faced resistance from some property owners and tenants over compensation and relocation terms, even as experts warn that thousands of Istanbul buildings remain vulnerable. Thursday’s disaster may intensify pressure on authorities to accelerate demolitions and inspections.
Rescue efforts were expected to continue through the day as teams worked to secure the site and reach those still buried.