The death toll from the partial collapse of a seven-story building in Istanbul’s Maltepe district has risen to five after rescue teams recovered the bodies of three more people from the rubble, authorities said Friday.
Search and rescue operations at the building on Doğu Street in the Cevizli neighborhood have been completed, with teams carrying out controlled demolition and debris removal to reach people believed to be trapped inside.
The building’s first three floors collapsed at around 5:40 a.m. Thursday for an undetermined reason, prompting the deployment of the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), firefighters, police, medical teams and the National Medical Rescue Team (UMKE).
Rescue teams initially rescued 10 people, while two others were confirmed dead. Authorities later recovered the bodies of three more victims, raising the death toll to five.
The building, constructed in 1987, consisted of a ground floor and six upper floors. The ground floor was used as a workplace, while the upper floors contained 12 apartments, according to the Istanbul Governor’s Office.
Population registry records showed that 33 people were registered as living in the building, including 14 registered in the four apartments directly affected by the collapse. Some residents were outside the city when the incident occurred.
The rescue operation involved 56 firefighting vehicles and 175 personnel, alongside five AFAD vehicles and 25 personnel. Search and rescue dogs were also deployed to locate people beneath the rubble.
Nearby buildings considered at risk were evacuated as a precaution, and roads leading to the scene were closed. Authorities completed the controlled demolition of the building from the top to prevent further collapse and ensure the safety of rescue teams.
The Istanbul Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office launched a judicial investigation into the collapse, assigning a deputy chief prosecutor and a prosecutor to the case.
The building’s architect and site manager were detained as part of the investigation.