4-story building collapses in Konya

A 4-story building has collapsed in the central Selçuklu district of Konya. Two people have been rescued alive from the rubble.

Witnesses who saw the building collapse on Beyşehir Street in the Selçuk neighborhood reported the incident. Following the report, numerous AFAD, 112 Emergency Health, and police teams were dispatched to the area. Search and rescue operations were initiated based on information that there might be 5 people in the building. Two people were pulled from the rubble alive. The teams continuing their work have established contact with the 5 people under the rubble.

STATEMENT FROM INTERIOR MINISTER ALİ YERLİKAYA

The report regarding the building that collapsed this evening in the Kılıçarslan neighborhood of our Konya Selçuklu district reached the 112 Emergency Call Center at 20:05, and AFAD and municipal teams reached the area at 20:15.

99 personnel and 27 vehicles from our Provincial AFAD Directorates, 120 personnel from the Fire Department, as well as police, 112 Health, and municipal teams have been dispatched to the scene.

A Mobile Coordination Truck from the AFAD Presidency has been sent to the site of the collapsed building; teams from the AFAD Provincial Directorates of Ankara, Eskişehir, Afyonkarahisar, Isparta, Antalya, Karaman, Mersin, Niğde, Aksaray, Adana, Burdur, and Amasya have also been dispatched.

Our search and rescue efforts are ongoing.

The public will be informed of developments.

STATEMENT FROM VICE PRESIDENT YILMAZ REGARDING THE COLLAPSED BUILDING IN KONYA

Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz received information about the operations at the site of the collapsed building in the Selçuklu district.

Vice President Yılmaz, who is in Konya, arrived at the area where the building collapsed in the Selçuklu district. After receiving information from Konya Governor İbrahim Akın and Konya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Uğur İbrahim Altay, Yılmaz expressed their deep sorrow over the collapsed building and stated that they had come to the scene to inspect the search and rescue and debris removal efforts on-site.

Stating that all teams arrived in the region immediately after the incident and began their work, Cevdet Yılmaz noted that 2 people were rescued alive and that the survivors stated in their testimonies that there were 5 more people under the rubble. Yılmaz said, “All authorized units were rapidly dispatched to the scene. The collapsed building received its construction permit in 1992 and its occupancy permit in 1994. Rescue efforts are continuing rapidly; our prayers are with our citizens under the rubble. Our priority is to reach our citizens under the building. Work is being carried out at the scene with all our relevant institutions. The adjacent buildings have also been evacuated, and precautions have been taken against all possibilities.”

STATEMENT FROM MAYOR ALTAY

Konya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Uğur İbrahim Altay made the following statements in a post on his social media account:

Regarding the collapse of the 4-story building in Konya, Konya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Uğur İbrahim Altay reported that the building was not within the scope of urban transformation and that there were no complaints or applications made to official institutions regarding a building with an occupancy permit.

In his statement on his X account, Altay noted the following:

"Our search and rescue efforts continue in the collapsed building. The building is not within the scope of urban transformation; it is a building with an occupancy permit. There are no complaints or applications made to official institutions regarding the building. According to the statements of eyewitnesses and our findings, we believe that 12 of the 14 apartments are empty. We ask for your prayers."

KONYA GOVERNOR: THERE WERE 5 PEOPLE INSIDE

Governor Akın, who made a statement to journalists regarding the collapsed building, said, "There is information that there were 5 people inside. Efforts are underway to rescue these 5 people. Statements will be made after the necessary information is obtained in the coming hours.

We hope to rescue them from under this structure without losing any of our citizens.

The incident is very recent; investigations will be conducted. The information received from the two friends who came out from inside is that there were 5 people from their own family inside.

We are investigating whether there are other residents in the building besides them. We all have to follow the work with patience. Our Mayor and all our officials are at the scene, and we are monitoring the situation."

INVESTIGATION LAUNCHED

The Konya Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has launched an investigation into the collapsed building. One deputy chief prosecutor and 2 prosecutors have been assigned to the investigation.

The moment of the collapse of the 3-story building in Konya has emergedhttps://t.co/Ta5gvu8YQB pic.twitter.com/2prXt66Muo

— 12punto (@12puntocomtr) January 24, 2025

News Source: AA