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Istanbul building collapse: Two children dead, 18-year-old sister rescued alive from rubble

Tragic building collapse in Istanbul kills two children while 18-year-old sister rescued alive. Search continues for missing family members trapped in rubble.

Istanbul building collapse: Two children dead, 18-year-old sister rescued alive from rubble
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Two minor siblings were found dead under the rubble of the seven-story building in Istanbul that suddenly collapsed around 7:30 AM on Wednesday (29/10), according to Turkish authorities. As CNN Türk reports, rescuers initially found the lifeless body of 12-year-old Muhammad Emir Bilir and later that of his 14-year-old sister, Nisa Bilir. However, hopes were reignited when after eight hours of searches, 18-year-old Dilara Bilir was rescued alive. It should be noted that the shocking moment of the sudden building collapse in Istanbul was captured on video, which was broadcast by Turkish media outlets.

Read more: Apartment building collapse in Turkey: The moment the building falls like a house of cards (Video)

Turkey apartment building collapse: Search continues for survivors

It should be noted that rescue operations continue with undiminished intensity to locate possible survivors. According to initial reports, a family of five was in the building at the time of collapse — the parents and three children aged 12, 14 and 18 years old. The 44-year-old father and other family members are still missing. More than 140 rescuers are participating in the operation, including 80 members of AFAD (Civil Protection Service), as well as volunteers, specially trained dogs, motion detectors and drones. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya is coordinating the efforts along with the governor and mayor of Gebze.

Connection of the incident to metro construction works

The causes that led to the building collapse remain unknown until now, with mayor Zinnur Buyukgoz suggesting that the incident may be related to metro works being carried out near the site. Gebze, located on the northeast fault zone, was severely affected by the devastating 1999 earthquake, which cost the lives of approximately 18,000 people. Local authorities expressed their condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to the injured, while searches continue in the ruins.

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