2 pedestrians were killed, and 17 others were injured when an abandoned building collapsed in the Zeytinburnu district of Istanbul on January 13. The 7-story apartment building was vacated two years ago, after being declared unsafe for residents to dwell in. It comes as the second of such incidents, shortly after a mosque ceiling fell in earlier this year.
The entire building collapsed, bringing down all 56 apartments
The complex had been standing vacant since the decision was reached to have it demolished, although no further action was ever taken.
All 56 apartments collapsed into a huge heap of rubble, and medical services have been working tirelessly to find any other victims who may be trapped. Rescue dogs have been on hand to assist the teams in their effort to carry out the search. While the search and rescue at the site continues, the water, plumbing, and gas supplies to the area will be suspended until further notice. The Istanbul Fire Department dispatched 24 vehicles and 95 of their highly-trained staff to the scene.
Several nearby buildings suffered considerable damage from the impact when the apartment complex came down. 21 buildings within the vicinity of the collapsed apartments were evacuated as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of the residents.
2 fatalities recorded, as search continues
The deceased have been identified as a 60-year-old man, Mehmet Akbaş, and a young boy, Mehmet Özdener, who was only 6 years of age. His twin brother, Ahmet, is among the injured. There have been no further reports of any other fatalities thus far as a result of this building collapse.
Reason for building collapse has yet to be confirmed
The precise reason for the collapse has yet to be determined. The location of the building was less than 50 meters from the nearest tram stop, and there is a possibility that the vibrations from the trams passing by could have affected the stability of the building. This, along with the heavy snowfall across the city over the past week, could have played a significant role in the incident.
