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Two adjacent buildings collapsed in Istanbul’s Fatih district on Sunday following an explosion believed to have been caused by natural gas, authorities reported.
Multiple teams from Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), fire brigade and medical services were dispatched to the scene, and search and rescue operations were launched.
The Istanbul Governorate said the blast occurred in the afternoon in a building and is suspected to have been caused by natural gas based on initial assessments.
The explosion led to the collapse of two adjacent buildings, with five people trapped under the rubble.
The Governorate added that three of those trapped have been rescued and taken to hospitals, while efforts to reach the remaining two individuals are ongoing.
Fatih is often considered one of Istanbul’s more at-risk districts when it comes to building safety, with much of its housing stock dating back decades and predating modern seismic standards.
Its tightly packed urban fabric and ground conditions add to the pressure, while a large share of buildings has yet to be fully renewed under urban transformation programs.
According to Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) research, the district 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.
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