turkey building collapse
© APA screenshot
Dozens of people are feared trapped under the rubble of an apartment block in Istanbul, Turkey. At least two people have died while seven injured people have been pulled from the wreckage.

Emergency services were called to the scene of the collapse of the 7-storey building in the city's eastern Kartal district after 16:00 local time. Eyewitnesses told local news station NTV that people were still trapped under the debris.

At least two fatalities have been recorded. Seven people feared trapped have been rescued, according to Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya.

Footage from the scene shows rescue workers frantically trying to clear the rubble to reach potential survivors. Tiles, concrete blocks and wooden beams can been seen tossed across the street. Hundreds of rescuers took part in the search effort.

Terrifying CCTV footage appears to have captured the moment of the collapse. It shows at least a dozen passers by running for their lives as the building crashes down in a pillar of smoke.

Local official Zeki Dag told media that more than a dozen families were living in the block's 24 apartments, and a further 15-20 employees worked in a textile factory located in the building's basement. He added that no one was in the workshop at the time of the collapse.

Governor Yerlikaya said that a license to build a five-story block was granted in 1992, however, three further stories have been added illegally since then. He added that the basement factory was also operating without a business license.