On Sunday, March 22, a powerful explosion occurred in one of the districts of Istanbul, causing the collapse of two neighboring buildings. At least two people are currently known to be trapped under the rubble. According to preliminary information, the explosion could have been caused by a natural gas leak.
This was reported on the social network X by the Turkish Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Anadolu news agency.
It is noted that the incident occurred in the morning on Ebe Street in the Fatih district, which is located in the historical center of the city. Law enforcement officers, fire and rescue services, medics and AFAD employees quickly arrived at the scene of the incident. AFAD (Turkish: Afet ve Acil Durum Yönetimi Başkanlığı – Directorate for the Prevention and Elimination of Consequences of Emergencies) is a Turkish state institution responsible for civil protection, disaster prevention, minimizing their damage, and coordinating rescue operations. It is an analogue of the Ukrainian State Emergency Service. . Search and rescue operations are currently underway there.
Istanbul Governor Davutoglu said nine people had already been pulled from the rubble and taken to hospitals with injuries of varying severity. He said none of the injured were in critical condition.
Meanwhile, the search and rescue operation continues as at least two more people remain trapped under the rubble.
“Currently, we know that, in addition to the 9 people, there are still 2 more trapped under the rubble. We need to work with the precision of a jeweler to pull our fellow citizens out of the rubble alive and well. It is cramped down there, so we stepped aside for a coordination meeting with our Deputy Mayor of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, the Mayor of Fatih Municipality and other colleagues. We are assessing the situation,” Gul said.
City Police Chief Selami Yildiz and Fatih District Mayor Mehmet Ergun Turan are also at the scene.
The governor of Istanbul said that the exact cause of the explosion would be determined later, noting that it could have been a natural gas leak.
According to Turkish Justice Minister Akin Gurlek, law enforcement has already launched a judicial investigation into the explosion and collapse of two buildings in the Fatih district.
“Two public prosecutors have been assigned to the investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor's Office, and the incident is being thoroughly examined from all angles. We express our gratitude to the search and rescue teams who are working selflessly to reach our citizens under the rubble. We wish a speedy recovery to our injured citizens and are closely following the developments,” said Gurlek.
According to Türkiye Today, the Fatih district is “often referred to as one of the most vulnerable areas of Istanbul in terms of building safety,” as most of its housing stock was built long before modern seismic regulations were implemented.
It is noted that dense development and soil characteristics create additional stress, while many structures have not yet been renovated as part of urban transformation programs. According to a study by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, the district's housing stock is one of the oldest in the city, and 39,786 properties are considered vulnerable.
Additionally, an abandoned three-story building collapsed in the area last year after an earthquake.