Two killed after building partially collapses in Turkiye’s Istanbul

What the report says

At least two people were killed when a seven-storey building partially collapsed in Istanbul’s Maltepe district, according to Al Jazeera’s report citing Turkish officials. The incident happened before dawn on Thursday on the Asian side of the city, when the building’s lower floors, including a ground-floor shop, gave way. Emergency crews were still searching for anyone left trapped in the rubble.

Rescue teams evacuated residents from the upper floors and pulled eight more people alive from the debris, the Istanbul governor’s office said. Officials also said rescuers had recovered two bodies and were trying to reach at least two others believed to be inside. Istanbul Governor Davut Gul said earlier that teams had made contact with a 6-year-old trapped in the wreckage, though the report did not confirm whether the child was among those later rescued.

The cause of the collapse had not been determined, and an investigation was under way. Authorities warned that the structure could collapse further, which slowed rescue work and led to the evacuation of nearby buildings. The episode highlights continuing concerns about older and potentially unsafe buildings in Turkiye, where city authorities have long pushed renovation and reconstruction efforts as part of broader urban renewal and earthquake-safety programs.