Turkey’s President Erdogan carries coffin of victim of Istanbul apartment block collapse after visiting survivors in hospital – as he says ‘lessons must be learned’ over tragedy that killed 17
- Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited victims from building collapse in Istanbul, Turkey
- Cause is under investigation but officials said top three floors were built illegally
- Officials have still not disclosed how many people are still unaccounted for
Turkey’s president helped carry the coffin of one of the victims of the apartment building collapse in Istanbul today as the death toll hit 17.
While visiting the scene of the collapse, he said that there were ‘many lessons to learn’ before visiting victims in the hospital.
The cause of Wednesday’s tragedy is under investigation but officials have said the top three floors of the eight-story building in the Kartal district were built illegally.
‘In this area, we have faced a very serious problem with illegal businesses like this done to make more money,’ President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters at the scene.
Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended the funeral of nine victims of a building collapse in Istanbul today
Erdogan, pictured with one of the victims, said there were ‘many lessons to learn’ from the collapse
The cause of the tragedy is under investigation but officials have said the top three floors of the eight-story building were built illegally. Pictured: Erdogan at the scene
He said the government would take ‘steps in a determined way’ after investigators complete their work.
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca has increased the death toll to 17.
Erdogan also visited a hospital where more than a dozen people are being treated. Seven of them are in serious condition.
Friends and relatives waited near the wreckage for news of their missing loved ones as emergency teams, aided by sniffer dogs, worked around the clock to reach possible survivors.
Pictured: President Erdogan and other people praying during the funeral of nine of the victims
Pictured: Erdogan visiting Azra Havva Tekgoz who was injured during the building collapse
Pictured: rescue workers at the scene of the collapse in the Kartal district of Istanbul earlier today
Officials have not disclosed how many people are still unaccounted for. The building had 14 apartments with 43 registered residents
Officials have not disclosed how many people are still unaccounted for. The building had 14 apartments with 43 registered residents.
The collapse took place at around 4pm on the Asian side of Istanbul in the mostly residential Kartal district.
Security camera footage on HaberTurk television showed several people, including schoolchildren with backpacks, running away from the site as the building tumbled down and a cloud of dust engulfed the area.
‘We rushed out as soon as we heard a loud noise. When we got out, we saw that the building had collapsed,’ resident Kenan Ayyildiz told the news channel.
Friends and relatives waited near the wreckage for news of their missing loved ones as emergency teams, aided by sniffer dogs, worked around the clock to reach possible survivors
Pictured: workers searching the rubble for survivors at the scene of the building collapse today