A 7-storey building collapsed in Istanbul, Turkey

On June 27, a seven-storey building collapsed in Istanbul, Turkey. The incident occurred in the Zafer neighborhood of the Bahçelievler district. Witnesses stated that early in the morning, they heard cracking noises and decided to evacuate some minutes before the first three floors of the seven-story building gave away.  Fortunately, no casualties or injuries were reported. However, the collapse revealed illegal construction in the structure. Because of the unstable state of the structure, authorities evacuated multiple nearby buildings to ensure safety due to the fear of further collapses.

The cause of the collapse remains unknown and thus an investigation is underway. However, authorities have already noticed construction defects and poor-quality materials. Specifically, during the investigation of the rubble, they found shells in columns and concrete pieces, indicating the use of sea sand. Experts have determined that the use of sea sand significantly contributed to the building’s collapse as the concrete was fragile. Furthermore, the building was constructed as a four-storey structure in 1970, while it had three additional floors illegally added in 1994.

The collapse also highlighted the need to reinforce the city’s older and vulnerable buildings while stricter building regulations must be enforced. In addition, concerns were raised about the safety of older buildings in Istanbul, according to a survey conducted by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. Specifically, around 1,556 buildings throughout the city are at risk of collapse today.