Two buildings collapsed in Istanbul, Turkey on Sunday (local time) after a natural gas explosion rocked the central Fatih district, AP reported.
Following the explosion, several teams from the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD), fire brigade and medical services were immediately dispatched to the site and a search and rescue operation was launched. At least nine people were trapped under the rubble.
Istanbul governor reacts to building collapse in Fatih
In response to the incident, Istanbul Governor Davut Gul said that seven people have recovered and are receiving treatment in nearby hospitals. Citing state news station TRT, the report said an eighth person had also recovered and was sent to hospital for treatment.
Rescue operations are still underway to find the last person, the report said, adding that none of the survivors were in critical condition.
According to a report in Turkiye Today, Gul said the explosion occurred in the afternoon in the building and was likely caused by natural gas, based on initial estimates. He added that the collapse of the building where the explosion occurred led to the collapse of the neighboring building as well.
Of the two buildings that collapsed, one was a two-story building and the other was a single-story building.
Aging buildings in Fatih raise safety concerns
According to Turkiye Today, Istanbul’s Fatih is often considered one of the city’s riskiest neighborhoods in terms of building safety, with most of its housing stock dating back decades and predating modern seismic standards.
Fatih’s tightly packed urban structure and soil conditions add to the pressure, while much of the buildings have yet to be fully restored as part of urban transformation programs.
According to Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) research, Fatih has one of the oldest housing stocks in the city, with 39,786 units considered vulnerable.
In 2025, an abandoned three-story building collapsed in the area following an earthquake, although no casualties were reported.
This is a breaking story. Further details were awaited.
