Istanbul building collapse toll rises to 14

The death toll following the collapse of an eight-storey apartment building here has climbed to 14 with 14 people injured, Turkish Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu said on Friday.

The rescue operation was continuing after the building collapse on Wednesday in Istanbul's Kartal neighbourhood, Xinhua news agency reported. A total of 43 people reportedly lived in the building that tumbled on Wednesday.

Reports said that the rescue teams had contact with five people trapped under the debris.

A 16-year-old boy was rescued earlier from the rubble, 45 hours after the collapse.

Considering the risk of collapse of other buildings on either side of the debris, experts were monitoring even the "tiniest movements," said Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya.

"The safety of our friends working on the rubble is also very important for us," Yerlikaya said, adding that all the structures within the specific location will soon be technically examined.

The authorities earlier evacuated a total of seven buildings in the area as a precaution.

--IANS

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