Istanbul 7-story building collapses, upper part crushing lower floors... 2 dead

(Istanbul = Yonhap News) Correspondent Kim Dong-ho = A residential building in Turkye Istanbul collapsed, killing two people, Anadolu News Agency reported on the 8th (local time).

According to authorities, a seven-story building collapsed in Istanbul's Maltepe district at around 5:40 a.m. on this day. The upper floors of the building suddenly collapsed, crushing the lower 1st to 3rd floors.

The remaining 4- to 7-story structures still maintain their shape, but due to the possibility of further collapse due to tilt and cracks, all residents were evacuated.

Two bodies were recovered from the scene and five people were taken to the hospital. Rescue teams are continuing their search, believing that three residents who cannot be contacted may be buried under the rubble of the building.

Tolga Gülfnar, who lived in the building, said the building had previously had cracks and that some residents heard a loud noise just before the building collapsed. He also added that because the building was old, reinforcement work had been in progress for some time.

Anadolu reported that there were suspicions that a pillar had been cut off due to illegal construction on part of the first floor of a building that was used as a commercial building. The Turkiye Ministry of Internal Affairs has launched an investigation to determine whether there were any negligence in the building renovation process.