3-story building collapses in Istanbul’s Balat neighborhood

ISTANBUL

A three-story derelict building in Istanbul’s Balat neighborhood collapsed on Feb. 16. No injuries have been reported yet.

Istanbul’s Governor’s Office has released a statement regarding the incident, saying that the building had been cordoned off previously as a “precautionary measure.”

“The three-story wooden derelict building on the Çorbası Çeşme Street in Balat neighborhood of Fatih district, which was previously cordoned off as a precautionary measure, has collapsed. Firefighters have been dispatched to the place of incident. According to initial information, no death or injuries have been reported,” said the governor’s office.

The incident came in the aftermath of a building collapse in Kartal district on Feb. 6, which killed 21 people.

Twenty-one of the 35 people trapped under the debris were killed, 14 were rescued and hospitalized.

Turkish media said three floors of the seven-story building had been illegally built.