Building collapse in Istanbul traps at least 7 people, including child

A seven-story building in Istanbul partially collapsed on Thursday, trapping at least seven people inside, including a 6-year-old, officials said.

The reason for the collapse was not immediately known and an investigation was underway.

Rescue teams were working to reach those trapped even as there were warnings of a further collapse of the building.

The building’s three lower floors, including a ground-floor shop, caved in before dawn in the district of Maltepe, on the Asian side of Istanbul, a city that is bisected by the Bosporus Strait.

Residents from the upper floors were safely evacuated while rescue teams pulled five more people from the rubble and were continuing with efforts to reach the seven others, said Davut Gul, the governor of Istanbul.

Gul said rescuers had made contact with a 6-year-old trapped in the rubble but were unable to get to the child from their current location and were now trying a different approach.

He warned that the building was at risk of further collapse, hampering the rescue efforts.

Nearby buildings were also evacuated for safety, the governor said.

Istanbul and other parts of Turkey are undergoing an urban transformation program that aims to replace old and earthquake-risky buildings with safer housing.