One person died after two buildings collapsed in Turkey’s Istanbul on Sunday (local time) following a natural gas explosion that rocked the central Fatih district.
After the explosion, multiple teams from Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), fire brigade, and medical services were dispatched immediately to the site of the explosion, and a search and rescue operation was launched. At least ten people were rescued, as per an AP report.
Istanbul Governor reacts to building collapse in Fatih
Reacting to the incident, Istanbul Governor Davut Gul said they had recovered seven people, who are undergoing treatment in nearby hospitals. Citing state-run news channel TRT, the report said that an eighth person was also recovered and was sent to a hospital for treatment.
Rescue operations were still underway to find the final person, the report said, adding that none of the survivors is in critical condition.
According to a report in Turkiye Today, Gul said the blast occurred in the afternoon in a building and was likely caused by natural gas, based on early assessments. He added that the collapse of the building, where the explosion occurred, led the adjacent building to collapse as well.
Of the two buildings that collapsed, one was two stories, the other was one.
Aging buildings in Fatih raise safety concerns
According to Turkiye Today, Istanbul’s Fatih is often considered one of the city’s more at-risk districts when it comes to building safety, with most of its housing stock dating back decades and predating modern seismic standards.
Fatih’s tightly packed urban fabric and ground conditions add to the pressure, while a large share of buildings is yet to be fully renewed under the urban transformation programs.
According to Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) research, Fatih has one of the city’s oldest housing stocks, with 39,786 units considered vulnerable.
In 2025, an abandoned three-story building collapsed in the area following an earthquake, though no casualties were reported.
