Emergency services are continuing their search operations in the Maltepe district, following the collapse in Istanbul of part of a seven-storey building, which has left at least two people dead and several others trapped under the rubble. Rescue operations are currently focused on locating several missing people, whilst facing the risk of a further collapse of the structure, which has been severely weakened.
The incident occurred on Thursday 8 October 2026, at around 05:40 in the early hours of the morning, when the three lower storeys of a seven-storey building on Doğu Street, in the Cevizli neighbourhood of the Maltepe district, collapsed under the weight of the structure, according to reports from Turkish media.
Ten people rescued from the rubble
According to the information available so far, 33 people lived in the building and there were 12 flats. 10 people were rescued alive from the rubble and the bodies of two other victims were recovered. None of those rescued alive had serious injuries. The authorities have launched an investigation to determine the causes of the incident.
Following the collapse of the lower floors, the upper floors remained standing, although emergency services proceeded to evacuate the residents due to the risk of a total collapse of the block of flats. Several evacuated residents later reported that, prior to the disaster, creaking noises had been heard inside the building and cracks had appeared.
Numerous personnel from AFAD (Disaster and Emergency Management Agency), firefighters teams, UMKE (National Medical Rescue Unit), the police and medical teams were immediately deployed to the scene. Search and rescue operations were carried out whilst teams attempted to reach those still trapped beneath the rubble of the building.
The causes of the collapse in Maltepe are under investigation
The exact cause of the building’s collapse has not yet been determined. The investigation is currently also focusing on the building’s history and the characteristics of its structure, which appears to have been altered. As part of the investigation, the building’s architect and the site manager have been arrested.
The mayor of Maltepe, Esin Köymen, confirmed that the top two floors of the building were constructed illegally after the building had been granted its occupancy licence. However, this does not necessarily mean that these additional storeys were the direct cause of the building’s collapse, according to experts.
A security camera captured the moment the building collapsed
The moment of the building’s collapse was recorded by a security camera at another property in the immediate vicinity. The footage shows how the three lower storeys of the seven-storey building collapsed almost instantly.
The governor of Istanbul, Davut Gül, confirmed from the scene of the incident that there were three children amongst those rescued alive during the operations, whilst the bodies of two people were recovered from the rubble. Teams were continuing to work to rescue those still trapped. Although the rest of the structure remained standing, the authorities warned of the risk that the building could collapse completely.
In light of this situation, the governor of Istanbul told journalists that “they will begin to demolish the building in a controlled manner, starting from the top. This will reduce the load on the building and, as has been the case since this morning, (rescue teams) will attempt to reach our three trapped fellow citizens via tunnels dug beneath it”.
VOTE
EDITORIAL TEAM
🧿 About us
.
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.
…
📣 Your ADVERTISING on Hispanatolia
.
🤗 HELP US WITH A DONATION:
💗 Paypal
