A seven-story building collapsed on early Oct. 29 in the northwestern province of Kocaeli’s Gebze district, leaving at least five people trapped beneath the rubble, officials have said.
Search and rescue operations are ongoing as emergency teams race against time to locate survivors.
Kocaeli Governor İlhami Aktaş, in a live broadcast, said that authorities have not yet determined the cause of the collapse. “Our priority is to rescue those trapped under the debris,” he said, confirming that five residents were believed to be inside the building at the time of the incident.
Following reports of the collapse, police, firefighters, medical teams and Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) personnel were dispatched to the scene.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced that 147 search and rescue workers, including 80 from AFAD, were taking part in the operation alongside NGO and municipal teams. Two rescue dogs, eight debris detection devices, two drones and 52 vehicles were deployed to assist the efforts.
Witnesses reported hearing voices from within the debris as teams continued to dig through the remains. Preliminary reports suggest that two families lived in the building. One family was reportedly out of town for a wedding, while the other is believed to be under the rubble.
According to reports, the collapse occurred near a metro construction site, raising questions about whether the underground work might have contributed to the incident.
However, ANKA Search and Rescue Association head Murat Altunorak said the building appeared to have partially sunk on one side before collapsing, suggesting possible construction flaws.
Records show the property was registered as a reinforced concrete office and residential building, housing an active pharmacy on the ground floor.
