Building collapses in Malatya: 13 people survive with injuries

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA)

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A 2-storey building, with shops on its first floor, collapsed in Yeşilyurt district of Malatya province at around 4.50 pm yesterday (November 9).

13 people have survived the collapse with injuries thanks to the search and rescue efforts. The injured have been hospitalized.

'No one reported missing, unaccounted for'

Vice Minister of Interior İsmail Çataklı stated, "There is no one who has been reported missing or unaccounted for, as far as we have been informed." Vice Minister Çataklı made the following statement in brief:

"According to inquiries so far, there are 21 people in the building. Our friends reached eight of them, they got out by their own means. 

"The other 13 people have been rescued by the rescue teams and taken to hospitals. Eight of the 13 people have been discharged. Five are in intensive care and four under treatment in the service in hospitals. They are not in a life-threatening condition."

Çataklı noted that there were three shops on the first floor of the building while there was a coffeehouse on the second floor. Noting that there were renovation works ongoing in a shop on the first floor, he said that the collapse was considered to be caused by these works.

As reported by the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA), witnesses in the region indicated that the renovation works had continued all day long and alleged that a column was removed during the renovation.

4 people detained

In a statement released by the Malatya Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, it has been announced that an investigation has been launched into the collapse and four people have been detained:

"The necessary examinations about the incident have been made by experts and based on the evidence collected, it has been understood that renovation works were undertaken without permission.

"The business owner who had the renovation carried out and his/her three employees have been taken into custody. The investigation is meticulously ongoing in multiple aspects." (KÖ/SD)