Emergency response teams pulled multiple survivors from the rubble after a portion of a seven-story residential building collapsed early Thursday morning in Istanbul’s Maltepe district, triggering a major search and rescue operation.

The incident occurred around 5:40 a.m. local time on Doğu Street in the Cevizli neighborhood. The lower three floors of the structure suddenly caved in, trapping several residents beneath tons of concrete and twisted metal while leaving upper-floor occupants stranded.

Rescue workers quickly dispatched to the site, utilizing heavy machinery, search-and-rescue dogs, and acoustic listening devices. Firefighters and disaster response crews evacuated residents trapped on the upper floors that remained standing, while specialized teams descended into the collapsed lower section to reach those buried under the debris.

Initial reports indicated that three individuals were rescued early in the operation with varying degrees of injury and immediately rushed to nearby medical facilities. Istanbul Governor Davut Gül arrived at the scene to oversee coordination efforts and provide regular updates on the ongoing rescue mission.

"Our teams made contact with several individuals trapped beneath the rubble shortly after arriving," Governor Gül confirmed to reporters, noting that six of the twelve people initially impacted had been safely extracted, while rescue crews maintained active contact with four remaining victims inside the collapsed zone.

While early witness accounts suggested a possible gas explosion may have triggered the structural failure, municipal authorities and public prosecutors have launched a formal technical investigation to determine the exact cause of the collapse. Engineering teams are evaluating neighboring structures to ensure surrounding buildings remain structurally sound while rescue operations continue. (ILKHA)