King Salman orders extension of Citizen's Account Program and additional support for a full year    Al-Falih: 1,238 foreign investors obtain premium residency in Saudi Arabia    Irish PM apologizes for walking away from care worker    Several dead as Storm Bert wreaks havoc across Britain    Most decorated Australian Olympian McKeon retires    Adele doesn't know when she'll perform again after tearful Vegas goodbye    'Pregnant' for 15 months: Inside the 'miracle' pregnancy scam    Ukraine losing ground in Russia's Kursk region, says military source    Hezbollah fires rocket barrages into Israel after deadly Beirut strikes    Al Ittihad claims top spot in Saudi Pro League after victory over Al Fateh    Do cigarettes belong in a museum?    Saudi Arabia allows licensed flour milling companies to export flour    Saudi Arabia joins international partnership initiative to boost hydrogen economy    With 25 million monthly active users, Snap Inc. expands presence in Saudi Arabia to serve thriving community of creators, partners and clients    Riyadh Emir inaugurates International Conference on Conjoined Twins in Riyadh    Saudi delegation participates in the 7th U20 Deans Summit in Brazil    Saudi Arabia to host 28th Annual World Investment Conference in Riyadh    Al Khaleej stuns Al Hilal with 3-2 victory, ending 57-match unbeaten run    Al Khaleej qualifies for Asian Men's Club League Handball Championship final    Katy Perry v Katie Perry: Singer wins right to use name in Australia    Order vs. Morality: Lessons from New York's 1977 Blackout    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Filipino pilgrim's incredible evolution from an enemy of Islam to its staunch advocate    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Building collapses in Istanbul, trapping at least one person under debris
Published in Saudi Press Agency on 26 - 04 - 2007


An apartment building collapsed in
Istanbul on Thursday, and rescue teams reached one person
trapped alive under the debris, authorities said. It was
not clear whether any more people were trapped.
Firefighter chief Orhan Akyildiz said rescuers reached one
person who was in good condition. Private CNN-Turk
television said rescue teams evacuated the person, who it
said was an injured girl, according to AP.
Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler said residents had been
evacuated from the eight-story building before it
collapsed.
«Cracking was heard about half an hour before it
collapsed and it was evacuated to a large extent,» Guler
said. «One or two people reportedly returned to pick up
their belongings.»
The city's mayor, Kadir Topbas, said the building
collapsed when workers were trying to demolish an adjacent
building.
«This is the result of serious negligence,» said Topbas,
blaming a contractor for damaging the foundations of the
apartment building while trying to demolish the structure
next door.
Authorities evacuated two other nearby buildings as a
precaution, said local mayor Osman Develioglu.
Rescue workers were seen crouching in front of gaps in the
rubble in search of survivors. Television footage showed
people being evacuated from neighboring buildings, some
carrying babies. One elderly woman could be seen crying as
she tried to lift debris with her bare hands.
Women wailed as they walked past the rubble and a large
crowd gathered around the site. Rescuers appealed for quiet
so they could hear whether people were trapped in the
rubble.
Building collapses are not uncommon in Turkey, where
shoddy construction was blamed for the deaths of thousands
of people during two massive earthquakes in 1999. Several
contractors who were charged with negligence for ignoring
building codes escaped punishment in February when
statute-of-limitations expired in all ongoing cases that
were filed in 1999.
In February, a five-story apartment building collapsed in
Istanbul, killing two people and injuring 26 others.
Turkish rescue services have expertise in dealing with
building collapses, a result of Turkey's long history of
devastating earthquakes.
Turkish rescuers often carry out earthquake drills in this
sprawling city of more than 12 million, which experts
believe could be hit by a huge quake sometime in the next
30 years.
Geologists have urged the Turkish government since 1999 _
when two earthquakes west of Istanbul killed more than
18,000 people _ to tear down some 50,000 buildings that
would probably collapse if a big quake hit Istanbul.
They say hundreds of thousands of other buildings that
rise in an unstable mass of brick, mortar and stone need to
be reinforced.
-- SPA


Clic here to read the story from its source.