People trapped under tons of concrete, horrific scenes from Istanbul: Two buildings collapsed, what is the cause of the disaster?
Two neighboring buildings collapsed in Istanbul's Fatih district on Sunday after an explosion believed to be caused by natural gas, authorities announced. Multiple teams from the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), fire services, and medical services were dispatched to the scene, and rescue operations were launched.
TL;DR
- Two adjacent buildings in Istanbul's Fatih district collapsed after an explosion.
- The explosion is suspected to have been caused by natural gas.
- Emergency services, including AFAD and fire departments, are conducting rescue operations.
- Nine people were reported trapped under the rubble, with seven rescued and efforts to find the remaining two ongoing.
- The Fatih district is considered high-risk due to older buildings and seismic vulnerability.