A major rescue operation is underway in the northwestern Turkish city of Gebze after a seven-storey building collapsed on Wednesday, leaving two people dead and several others trapped beneath the rubble.
Authorities confirmed that all five victims belong to the same family. According to Deputy Interior Minister Mehmet Aktas, rescuers recovered the body of 12-year-old Muhammed Emir Bilir, followed shortly by his sister, believed to be Nisa Bilir. Both children were found lifeless beneath the debris.
More than 600 personnel from the Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate (AFAD), the fire department, and police units are combing through the wreckage to locate the children’s parents: 37-year-old Emine Bilir and 44-year-old Levent Bilir, who remain missing.
Three others were injured in the collapse, which occurred in a densely populated residential neighborhood on Wednesday afternoon.
The cause of the collapse remains unclear. However, Gebze Mayor Zinnur Büyükgöz suggested that nearby metro construction work may have weakened the building’s structure. An investigation has been launched to determine the exact cause.
The incident comes just days after a 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck western Turkey, toppling several buildings and shops in Balıkesir province. While authorities have not confirmed any link between the two events, the back-to-back collapses have reignited public concern about building safety standards and poor law enforcement across the country.
