Two killed in Turkish building collapse
A five-floor apartment building collapsed in Istanbul, Turkey, this morning, killing at least two people and injuring 16 others, the governor said.
It was not clear how many people were inside when the building came down after midnight – reportedly because its foundations were weakened by an adjacent construction, according to media reports.
Istanbul Gov Muammer Guler said at least 27 people were living in the building.
“We don’t know how many people were inside at the time of the incident,” Guler said.
“Three or five others escaped unharmed and we hope that only a handful of others are left inside.”
Mayor Kadir Topbas said rescuers pulled out another person alive, bringing the number of survivors to 16.
The latest survivor was a 12-year-old boy, Murat Demir, who appeared to be from the same family of a 36-year-old woman, Kaside Demir, who died, authorities said.
Their relationship was not immediately clear.
Authorities later dug up the body of a second victim, Guler said. Chief firefighter Ali Karahan said some residents managed to escape the building when it began crumbling and those who were injured were all trapped in the stairs.
