Two buildings collapsed in Istanbul’s Fatih district on Sunday following a gas explosion, killing one person and triggering an immediate search and rescue operation.
Authorities said the blast occurred around noon, leaving nine people trapped under the rubble. Rescue teams were deployed to the site shortly after the incident.
Istanbul Governor Davut Gul said seven people had been pulled from the debris and were undergoing treatment at nearby hospitals. An eighth person was also rescued and taken to hospital, news agency AP reported citing state-run broadcaster TRT.
Also read| Qatar helicopter crash: 6 dead due to technical malfunction; search on for 1 missing
Rescue efforts are ongoing to locate the remaining individual.
One of the collapsed structures was a two-storey building, while the other was a separate structure.
In a separate incident, a routine military training exercise turned tragic on Sunday after a Qatari Armed Forces helicopter crashed in regional waters, leaving all seven people on board dead.
The aircraft, part of the Qatar-Turkey Joint Combined Force Command, went down at dawn. Early indications point to a technical malfunction, though officials have made it clear that the exact cause will only be established after a detailed investigation by Qatari authorities.
{{/usCountry}}The aircraft, part of the Qatar-Turkey Joint Combined Force Command, went down at dawn. Early indications point to a technical malfunction, though officials have made it clear that the exact cause will only be established after a detailed investigation by Qatari authorities.
{{/usCountry}}What stands out in the incident is the mix of personnel on board, reflecting the joint nature of the mission. The victims included four members of the Qatari Armed Forces, one from the Turkish Armed Forces, and two technicians from Turkish defence company Aselsan. Among them were one Turkish soldier and two Aselsan personnel.
Search and rescue teams were deployed immediately after the crash. According to the Turkish Ministry of Defence, the operation led to the recovery of both the wreckage and those on board.
"Search and rescue operations were immediately launched, and the wreckage of the helicopter and the bodies of our martyrs were recovered. Four Qatari Armed Forces personnel, one Turkish Armed Forces personnel, and two ASELSAN technicians on board the helicopter were martyred in the accident. The exact cause of the accident will be determined by the Qatari authorities following an investigation," the Turkish Defence Ministry stated.
Qatar’s Ministry of Defence later released the names of those who died. The Qatari personnel were identified as Captain (Pilot) Mubarak Salem Daway Al-Marri, Sergeant Fahad Hadi Ghanem Al-Khayarin, Corporal Mohammed Maher Mohammed, and Captain (Pilot) Saeed Nasser Samekh. Major Sinan Tastekin of the Qatar-Turkey Joint Forces was also among the deceased.
The two Aselsan technicians were named as Suleiman Cemra Kahraman and Ismail Anas Can.
Both countries expressed grief over the loss. Qatar’s Ministry of Defence offered condolences to the families, praying for mercy and peace for those who lost their lives. Turkey’s defence ministry also conveyed its sympathies to the bereaved families, as well as to the armed forces and people of both nations.