ISTANBUL
Four people, including two children, were injured in the early hours of Thursday in Istanbul’s Fatih district as debris from an abandoned building struck an adjoining two-story house, forcing its collapse.
Hanife Serttas, her two children Tayfun and Ugurcan Serttas, together with her mother Gulsum Esmeray were trapped in the rubble in their house in Fatih’s Dervis Ali neighborhood.
After rescue teams arrived, the mother and two children were sent to nearby hospitals. Gulsum Esmeray survived being trapped for two-hour efforts and was sent to Istanbul University’s Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty.
House-owner Bahri Serttas, who was outside during the collapse, told reporters that he had warned the authorities at the Fatih municipality about the risk of the collapse of the abandoned building, but they had not dealt with the situation.
A municipality spokesperson was unavailable to comment but the authorities have begun an investigation into the event.
The Turkish government has in recent years undertaken large-scale urban renewal projects to tackle abandoned and dilapidated buildings which pose a risk in Istanbul.
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