Four killed in Gebze building collapse as questions mount over cause

KOCAELI

Teams recovered the bodies of a mother and father on Oct. 30, nearly 19 hours after a seven-story apartment building collapsed in the northwestern city of Kocaeli’s Gebze district, killing four members of the same family and leaving one survivor, amid questions over the cause of the incident.

The collapse occurred early on Oct. 29. Rescue teams rushed to the scene where the five members of the family were trapped under the debris.

After hours of intense rescue efforts, authorities confirmed that 18-year-old Dilara Bilir was pulled out alive after nearly eight hours under the rubble.

Her parents, Levent and Emine Bilir, and her younger siblings, Nisa Bilir and Emir Bilir were later found dead.

Twelve nearby buildings were evacuated and sealed off as a precaution while authorities inspected possible structural risks in the area.

Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç announced that the chief public prosecutor’s office in Gebze has launched an investigation into the collapse.

A panel of experts including civil and geophysical engineers and an architect has been assigned to determine the cause, Tunç said, adding that the probe will focus on identifying any potential negligence.

The cause of the collapse remains unclear as of yet.

Kocaeli Governor İlhami Aktaş said there had been no prior complaints or warning signs reported about the building.

Built in 2012 and occupied since 2013, the seven-story apartment housed several duplex units and a pharmacy on the ground floor.

Uğur Aydın, the pharmacy’s owner, said he had recently noticed signs of subsidence and shifted column cladding in the basement area. He claimed to have alerted the building contractor about the issue days before the collapse.

“There were visible deformations on the floor and the aluminum coverings of some columns had shifted,” Aydın said, adding that no cracks had been seen on the main concrete pillars.

Some residents suggested the nearby metro construction project might have destabilized the ground beneath the building. However, officials said there was no concrete evidence linking the construction to the collapse.

Authorities are also examining whether a series of recent earthquakes in the region may have weakened the ground beneath the building.