ISTANBUL (AP) — A seven-story apartment building in Turkey’s northwestern city of Gebze collapsed early Wednesday, trapping a family of five under the rubble and killing two of them
State-run TRT news channel identified them as a man, 43, a woman, 37, and their three children. Deputy Interior Minister Mehmet Aktas told reporters that Dilara Bilir, 18, was successfully rescued. Authorities recovered earlier the bodies of her younger sister, Hayrunnisa, 14, and brother, Muhammed Emir, 12.
TRT said first responders were still looking for the parents and that 627 rescuers were deployed on-site.
While state-run Anadolu Agency stated the cause of the collapse was currently unknown, Mayor of Gebze Zinnur Büyükgöz, speaking to local media, suggested it might be related to nearby metro construction.
Gebze also lies along the north Anatolian fault line and was one of the main centers hit during 1999’s magnitude 7.6 earthquake, which killed an estimated 18,000 people in total.
Experts have long warned that Turkey’s failure to enforce modern construction codes poses significant risks in earthquake-prone areas.
In January, the collapse of a four-story building in Konya led to two deaths. Shopkeepers who rented the ground floor are currently on trial to determine whether they dismantled supporting columns for more space, a common practice despite severe penalties. They could face up to 22 years in prison if convicted.
