ISTANBUL, October 8, 2026 â A seven-storey apartment building partially collapsed in Istanbul’s Maltepe district early Thursday, trapping residents beneath the rubble and triggering a major rescue operation. Eight people, including three children, were pulled out alive, while emergency teams continued searching for six others, according to the Istanbul Governor’s Office’s 9:46 a.m. update.
Ä°stanbul Maltepe’de 7 katlÄą bir binanÄąn ilk 3 katÄąnÄąn çÜkme anÄą: https://t.co/YcRL3NV6YC
— Haber (@Haber) October 8, 2026
The collapse occurred around 5:40 a.m. on DoÄu Street in the Cevizli neighborhood. The building’s lowest three floors gave way, leaving the upper floors standing above the damaged section. Residents in unaffected apartments were evacuated as firefighters searched for survivors.
LATEST REPORTED UPDATE | October 8, 9:46 a.m. Istanbul Time
8 rescued alive, including 3 children; 6 still being sought. Search-and-rescue operations were continuing under AFAD coordination. These figures reflect the governor’s reported update and may change.
Three Floors Collapse in Maltepe Apartment Building
The building was constructed in 1987 and contained 12 apartments above a ground-floor commercial space. According to Istanbul Governor Davut GĂźl, population records showed 33 registered residents.
Four apartments were directly affected, with 14 registered occupants. Officials initially established that two residents were not at home, while emergency teams worked to account for everyone in the damaged section.
A textile workshop occupied the ground floor but was reportedly empty when the collapse occurred. Authorities have not linked the business to the structural failure.
Security-camera footage from a neighboring building reportedly captured the moment the lower floors suddenly gave way.
Eight Rescued as Teams Search for Six Others
Earlier rescue reports confirmed three survivors, including two women pulled from the debris. The number subsequently rose to five before the governor’s office reported eight people rescued alive.
Interior Minister Mustafa Ăiftçi said during an earlier briefing that five rescued residents had been taken to hospitals and ten people had been evacuated safely from upper floors.
Officials also reported establishing contact with four people believed to be trapped. The later governor’s update identified six people still being sought.
The varying figures reflect successive stages of the emergency response. Authorities have not released a complete list of survivors or detailed medical information about everyone rescued.
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200 Emergency Personnel Deployed to Collapse Site
Firefighters deployed 175 personnel and 56 vehicles, while Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority, AFAD, sent 25 personnel and five vehicles. Search dogs, police, ambulances and UMKE medical responders joined the operation.
According to Anadolu Agency’s reporting, rescue teams worked to reach trapped residents and evacuate those in the remaining structure.
Authorities closed surrounding roads and established a security perimeter. The standing upper floors presented an additional risk as teams searched beneath unstable concrete debris.
October 8 Istanbul Building Collapse Timeline
5:40 a.m.: Three lower floors collapse in Cevizli, Maltepe.
8:11 a.m.: Governor GĂźl reports five rescued and contact with four trapped residents.
8:56 a.m.: Prosecutors launch an investigation.
9:30 a.m.: Interior Ministry announces two inspectors.
9:46 a.m.: Governor’s Office confirms eight rescued, with six still being sought.
Investigation Launched as Cause Remains Unknown
The Istanbul Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office assigned one deputy chief prosecutor and two public prosecutors to investigate the collapse.
Interior Minister Ăiftçi separately appointed two civil inspectors. Environment Minister Murat Kurum said provincial teams were examining the site under the governor’s coordination.
Investigators have not determined whether structural deterioration, construction defects or modifications contributed to the failure. The building’s 1987 construction date may be relevant, but its age alone does not establish the cause.
Turkey’s wider building-safety concerns have drawn attention since the devastating 2023 earthquakes. However, officials have not identified an earthquake as the cause of Thursday’s incident.
Residents Await News as Rescue Operation Continues
The emergency highlights the difficulty of accounting for occupants while rescuers work around unstable structures. Other major incidents, including the Alabama train derailments, have also required authorities to restrict access during safety operations.
Emergency-response coordination has similarly been central to incidents such as the Port Tampa Bay hazardous-material emergency, although the circumstances were different.
For Maltepe residents, the immediate priority remains locating the six people still being sought. No fatalities were confirmed in the supplied official updates, and investigators have not announced a cause.
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