A building in Bahçelievler – a working-class district on the European side of Istanbul – which had been evacuated after noises were heard coming from its columns, collapsed a few hours later, causing panic in the area, in an incident that was captured on CCTV in the area. Following the collapse, the authorities ordered the demolition of another adjacent building that had also been evacuated.
The four-storey building, built some 38 years ago and located in Bahçelievler, west of Istanbul, had been evacuated the previous night on the orders of municipal engineers after residents of the building reported worrying noises coming from its columns. The collapse of the block of apartments occurred on Wednesday 5 August at around 9.30 pm on Taşova Street, in the Yenibosna Merkez neighbourhood, according to the Turkish newspaper Hürriyet.
After carrying out several inspections of the building, the authorities decided to evacuate it as a precaution; it housed a total of 22 flats as well as three shops on the ground floor. A few hours later, the building collapsed.
Rescue teams searched for people trapped in the rubble
After the emergency services were alerted, police, firefighters, medical services and the Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD) were dispatched to the scene. The police implemented extensive security measures and closed the street to both vehicle traffic and pedestrians.
Teams from AFAD and firefighters launched a search and rescue operation amongst the ruins of the building as a precautionary measure. However, during the operation – which involved dogs trained to locate people in disasters and earthquakes – they did not find anyone trapped under the rubble.
Meanwhile, Istanbul municipal teams also proceeded to demolish the five-storey building situated next to the one that had collapsed, which had also been evacuated as a precaution. The moment the building suddenly collapsed within a few seconds was recorded second by second by several security cameras located on the street.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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