Building evacuated over collapse risk

AN 11-STORY building comprising of 80 apartments and 12 shops was evacuated yesterday in Istanbul due to a risk of collapse. The building had a construction permit issued 61 years ago, and its tenants were evacuated after an inspection found it might collapse.

Officials said the building in the city’s Bahçelievler district was issued a permit in 2000 for “reinforcement” but remained at risk. It is expected to be demolished after the evacuation.

Buildings in Istanbul came under scrutiny after 21 people were killed in a collapse in Kartal district earlier this month. The collapsed building was found to have illegal additional floors, which is considered to be one of the reasons for its sudden collapse.

After the collapse in Kartal, more people have started reporting cracks in their old buildings. Local authorities, on the other hand, have started inspecting structures that are in potential risk across the city.