The number of people who lost their lives in the collapse of the first three floors of a 7-story building in Istanbul's Maltepe district has risen to 5. It was reported that search and rescue operations have been completed following the recovery of the lifeless body of 60-year-old Hüseyin Özkurt, the last person being sought in the rubble.
Following the collapse, which occurred around 05:40 on the morning of October 8 on Doğu Street in the Cevizli neighborhood, AFAD, fire department, UMKE, police, and medical teams were dispatched to the area. The teams rescued 10 people, including 3 children, from the rubble.
Residents in the upper floors of the building, which were not affected by the collapse, were also evacuated for safety reasons. It was noted that operations were carried out with difficulty at times due to the risk of further collapse in the structure, and that teams took additional precautions due to dangerous tilting on the upper floors.
According to information shared by the Istanbul Governor's Office, the building, constructed in 1987, consisted of a ground floor and 6 floors above it. The structure, which had a business on the ground floor, contained a total of 12 apartments on the upper floors. According to population records, 33 people lived in the building, and 14 people were registered in the 4 apartments in the section affected by the collapse.
Following the disaster, two other buildings on the same street, one 7 stories and the other 4 stories, were sealed as a precaution. While the exact cause of the collapse has not yet been officially announced, an investigation has been launched into the building's structural system, construction history, and potential technical defects.
Within the scope of the investigation, the building's architect and the site manager from the period were taken into custody. While it was stated that allegations of an illegal floor regarding the collapsed building are also among the subjects of the investigation, the Ministry of Interior has appointed 2 civil inspectors to examine the planning, construction, and renovation processes.
News Source: 12punto
