A seven-storey building partially collapsed in Istanbul’s Maltepe district before dawn on Thursday, trapping at least seven people inside, including a six-year-old child, according to the Associated Press.

Rescue teams pulled five people from the structure, while emergency crews continued searching for those still trapped. Nearby buildings were evacuated as officials warned that the damaged building could suffer a further collapse.

The cause was not immediately established. The incident comes as Istanbul continues to grapple with the vulnerability of older buildings in a city exposed to major earthquake risk. Local authorities have been pursuing an urban-transformation programme intended to replace or reinforce unsafe structures, but the scale and pace of that work remain a persistent public concern.

The rescue operation was still under way when the AP report was published. The immediate priority was to stabilise the site, locate anyone remaining inside and prevent secondary collapse. The evacuation of neighbouring buildings reflects the uncertainty faced by emergency teams when a damaged structure cannot yet be assessed safely from within.

The incident is a reminder that building safety is not only a question for the aftermath of a major earthquake. Structural deterioration, unsafe alterations and inadequate maintenance can turn an ordinary morning into a mass-casualty emergency. For families living in dense urban districts, the question is whether inspections and renewal programmes are reaching the buildings most at risk before disaster strikes.

Authorities had not announced a final explanation for the collapse. Until investigators establish what happened, speculation should not be allowed to outrun the rescue operation or the evidence.