Türkiye's Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi said seven people are believed to be trapped beneath the rubble after part of a seven-storey residential building collapsed in Istanbul's Maltepe district, as search and rescue operations continue.

The partial collapse occurred early Thursday in Cevizli neighbourhood, where the building's lower floors gave way for reasons that have not yet been determined. Emergency response teams, including AFAD, firefighters, police, medical personnel and UMKE units, were immediately dispatched to the scene.

In a statement posted on social media, Çiftçi said all relevant institutions were coordinating intensive rescue efforts at the site.

He said five people had been rescued alive from the debris and transferred to hospitals for treatment, while ten residents who had remained on the upper floors of the building were evacuated safely.

Contact established with four people beneath the rubble

Çiftçi said rescue teams had established contact with four of the people believed to be trapped under the collapsed structure.

Authorities currently estimate that seven people may still be beneath the rubble, and operations are continuing around the clock to reach them as quickly and safely as possible.

The minister stressed that the priority was to rescue every person trapped under the debris and reunite them safely with their families.

Çiftçi also announced that two Civil Administration Inspectors had been appointed to investigate the incident and determine the cause of the collapse. He wished those injured a speedy recovery and extended his sympathies to residents of Maltepe.

Health Minister Prof. Dr. Kemal Memişoğlu said the five people rescued with injuries were receiving treatment in hospital. He added that medical teams remained at the scene in coordination with other emergency services as rescue operations continued.

Authorities have not yet determined the cause of the collapse, while search and rescue teams remain focused on locating those believed to be trapped beneath the rubble.(ILKHA)